India, Sept. 12 -- Punjab is no stranger to floods. Its geography, river system, and dependence on the monsoon have always carried an element of risk. Yet climate change has made that risk far more erratic and severe. When the monsoon arrives late and peaks in late August or early September, floods become almost inevitable. The devastation of 1988, and 2008 floods are not yet forgotten. Today, the state faces a similar tragedy, if not more. Year after year, the floods and their management cycle repeat itself: Delayed relief operations, hurried visits by political leaders, blame-shifting between institutions, and grand promises of future action. Rarely are floods approached as a systemic challenge requiring evidence-based planning and long-term investment. The very reasons for floods are often misunderstood. While heavy downpours in the plains are the immediate trigger, the real surge comes from the hills, which send down volumes of water far beyond the plains' capacity to absorb. At this stage in the cropping cycle, demand for irrigation water is low, while supply becomes overwhelming. Instead of preparing for this predictable imbalance, floods are treated as episodic misfortunes. What makes the situation worse is the steady decay and lack of upgrading Punjab's once-renowned water management systems. The state that pioneered large-scale irrigation and canal networks now struggles with aging infrastructure and fragmented institutions. Many traditional water bodies that once absorbed excess rainfall have either disappeared or been encroached upon. Flood escape routes are blocked, embankments are weak and poorly maintained, and urban centres lack even basic contingency plans for river overflows. Punjab has no policy on environmental flows. Its rivers, starved of water for most of the year, suddenly burst into devastating torrents during the monsoon, inundating basin areas and destroying livelihoods. Reports suggest that an integrated water plan for the state has been prepared, but it is yet to be finalised. Meanwhile, existing policies on water conservation and use are misaligned with science, sometimes even incentivising waste. The result is a system where infrastructure is decaying, water governance is outdated, and institutional knowledge is eroding, leaving Punjab dangerously vulnerable to every spell of heavy rain. Adding insult to injury is the attitude of neighbouring states. For decades, Punjab has been at the heart of contentious river water disputes, with neighbours demanding a larger share of its rivers. Yet, when floods bring misery to the very people whose water is claimed by them, there is little sympathy and no contribution to relief or rehabilitation. This asymmetry - claiming rights but not sharing responsibilities - reveals the hollowness of inter-state water politics. In the present situation, the immediate priority must of course be relief and rehabilitation. Villagers who have lost their homes and fields must be supported to return quickly to normal life. Farmlands must be restored, cleared of silt and debris, and inputs provided for the next sowing season. Time is of the essence, for a delay in rabi sowing would add food insecurity to the already heavy burden of flood losses. But beyond the urgent tasks of relief lies the far more difficult responsibility of reform. Punjab's floods are not just a state-level tragedy; they are a national challenge. The state remains India's food bowl, contributing more than 35% of wheat and nearly a quarter of rice procured for the central pool. Any disruption in Punjab's agricultural cycle ripples across the country, affecting grain stocks, prices, and farmer confidence nationwide. To imagine floods as a localised problem is to ignore their deep national consequences. It is, therefore, imperative that the Government of India step in - not only with immediate assistance but also with a long-term strategy to modernise Punjab's water management systems and help it adapt to a changing climate. This requires a multipronged approach. Punjab's river embankments, largely made of soil and susceptible to breaches, need to be replaced with stronger, permanent structures. Vulnerable stretches of rivers should be canalised to control overflows, and flood protection corridors can be developed into economic corridors, ensuring that safety and prosperity go hand in hand. Contingency planning must be institutionalised. Floods cannot be wished away, but their impact can be minimised if advance preparation becomes part of routine governance. Real-time data systems, satellite monitoring, and AI-driven forecasting need to be deployed in coordination with district and block-level authorities, while urban centres must integrate flood management into city planning. At the same time, natural buffers that have been lost to neglect and encroachment must be restored. Wetlands, traditional tanks, and floodplains are not relics of the past but essential assets in climate resilience. Their revival can absorb shocks that no man-made infrastructure alone can withstand. Equally important is the need to align water policies with the science of hydrology. Punjab's current policies continue to encourage wasteful practices in surface and groundwater use, particularly in agriculture. A sustainable future requires crop diversification, efficient irrigation, and incentives that reward conservation rather than exploitation. Without such reforms, Punjab will remain locked in a vicious cycle of depletion in dry seasons and devastation during monsoons. The scale of this transformation is beyond the capacity of the state alone. It requires national-level investment. Central funding, technical expertise, and climate-resilient programmes tailored to the state's unique challenges are urgently needed. This is not a favour to Punjab but a safeguard for India's collective future. Above all, floods must be freed from the stranglehold of divisive politics. Calamities do not respect state boundaries or electoral affiliations. To treat them as opportunities for point-scoring is to dishonour the suffering of millions who lose homes, crops, and livelihoods with each disaster. Punjab's floods are an early warning of the climate reality that India as a whole must face: Erratic rainfall, stressed river systems, and fragile infrastructure. Unless we respond with vision and investment, these calamities will recur with greater frequency and intensity. Punjab does not need sympathy alone. It needs a comprehensive rethinking of water governance. Relief must be swift, rehabilitation thorough, and investments futuristic....