Sun Sep 07 19:38:28 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

Punjab is experiencing devastating floods, one of the worst in decades, affecting nearly 400,000 people and causing significant loss of life, property, and crops. While heavy rainfall is a primary factor, human intervention, including blocked drainage, encroachments, and unregulated construction, is exacerbating the crisis. Experts point to the impact of climate change, particularly warming Arabian Sea temperatures, as contributing to increased rainfall. Blame is being traded between state and Union officials, with accusations of illegal mining weakening river embankments.

**News Article:**

**Punjab Reels From Devastating Floods; Climate Change and Human Negligence Blamed**

**Chandigarh, September 8, 2025 (The Hindu)** – Punjab, often referred to as India’s breadbasket, is grappling with catastrophic floods that have impacted nearly four lakh residents and claimed 48 lives. An estimated 2,000 villages are affected, with initial loss estimates exceeding ₹13,000 crore.

The Sutlej, Ravi, and Beas rivers have breached their banks, submerging vast tracts of farmland, infrastructure, and residential areas. Standing crops, weeks away from harvest, have been widely destroyed, inflicting heavy losses on farmers and the rural economy.

While relentless rainfall is the immediate trigger, experts point to a combination of factors exacerbating the crisis. Blocked drainage systems, encroachments on natural waterways, and rampant unregulated construction, including road laying, are significantly impeding water flow.

“Encroachments through settlements close to rivers and rivulets have been happening for years. Successive governments have failed to control them,” said S.K. Saluja, former chief engineer with the Ranjit Sagar and Shahpurkandi dam projects. “Construction works done in an unscientific way also obstruct water flow,” he said, adding that rampant sand mining in riverbeds is a huge problem in Punjab.

Adding to the crisis, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has blamed illegal mining for weakening river embankments, claims refuted by Punjab’s Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who described the accusations as biased.

Climate change also plays a significant role, according to experts. Soumya Dutta, trustee of MAUSAM, stated that the warming of the Arabian Sea is bringing more moisture to the region, resulting in intensified rainfall. “The change in weather patterns is visible owing to climate change. Over the last decade, rainfall has become more inconsistent in Punjab. The monsoon is not uniform, which is a matter of concern,” said Surender Paul, scientist and IMD director at Chandigarh.

The current floods are drawing comparisons to the devastating floods of 1988. More than 22,000 people have been evacuated. Authorities have urged the Union government to promptly release the State’s pending dues amounting to ₹60,000 crore, besides additional financial aid.

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