India, Oct. 4 -- When the rains came to Punjab in August-September, they came with an intensity that the state had not seen in decades. Torrents poured down over the upper catchments, rivers swelled beyond their banks, and reservoirs strained at their limits. Within days, water had engulfed the countryside: More than 1,650 villages across all 23 districts were affected, over 1.75 lakh acres of farmland lay submerged, and at least 46 human lives had been lost. By the government's estimate, the overall damage touched a staggering Rs.20,000 crore.

In the immediate aftermath, the familiar chorus of blame began. The Punjab government was accused of poor planning and weak flood management. But such criticisms tell only half the story. To under...