India, Sept. 27 -- Punjab gets its name from water - the land of five rivers. Ironically, it's water itself that has been devastating the state for decades. The farmers who once fought for their rightful turn at canal water are today the ones most battered by floods. Punjab has seen disputes over water distribution, but the root cause of repeated flooding lies in human negligence, greed, and short-sightedness. Dams have been built on all three rivers of Punjab. These multipurpose dams are designed to control floods, generate power, and supply water for irrigation, industry, and domestic use in a regulated manner. The big question is: Have they succeeded in controlling floods? Government records show water flow in Punjab's rivers has been declining by the year. Yet, in 2019, 2023, and now again in 2025, Punjab was devastated by floods, mainly because excess water had to be suddenly released from dams. This was no unforeseen disaster. On April 15, the meteorological department had warned of 105% above normal rainfall. Had the reservoirs been depleted timely near to drawdown level, incoming floodwater from the catchment could have been absorbed safely, instead of being unleashed downstream in destructive torrents. Take the example of the Bhakra Dam. Its Gobind Sagar reservoir has a capacity of 9,621 million cubic metres (7.8 MAF), with a live storage of 7,191 million cubic metres (5.83 MAF). The dam can be filled up to 1,680 feet and drawn down to 1,462 feet, giving 6 MAF of usable water. Ideally, the dam fills during monsoon and is gradually emptied from October, depending on irrigation and power needs. But in reality, Punjab has not been able to use its rightful share of water fully. Haryana and Rajasthan use theirs, and often demand more, while Punjab lags. Drinking water: Of the 14,732 villages, only 1,852 receive canal water through 919 schemes (as of 2023). The remaining 12,880 villages depend on tubewells and hand pumps. Punjab requires 1.78 MAF annually for domestic use, yet after 78 years of Independence, many villages still lack safe drinking water despite being surrounded by rivers. Agriculture: Punjab's 2023 crop diversification policy estimates annual farm needs at 57.73 MAF, equal to eight Bhakra Dams! But 76% of irrigation still comes from 15 lakh electricity-driven tubewells, while canal water contributes only 24%. Punjab's cropping cycle is such that during the depletion period, wheat is cultivated which requires minimal irrigation. Farmers often abandon their canal turns, particularly at night, relying instead on groundwater. Poor canal infrastructure adds to the problem. Reservoir depletion: Before monsoon, reservoirs could be lowered by generating hydropower. But political concerns over water flowing to Pakistan prevent this. Consequently, Bhakra has not been drawn down even near to its minimum 1,462 feet level in 45 years. In 2019, 2023, and 2025, reservoir levels were dangerously high at 1,605, 1,595, and 1,575 feet, respectively, well before monsoon began. The same holds true for the Pong and Ranjit Sagar Dams. Experts must study whether years of avoiding minimum drawdown could even compromise dam safety. At the onset of monsoon, reservoir levels were far higher than the safe minimum. In Bhakra, the excess from minimum was 113-143 feet; in Pong, 46-77 feet; and in RSD, 59 feet. Had these reservoirs been lowered in time, especially this time when a heavy monsoon was already predicted, the floods could have been controlled. Worse, floodgates were opened dangerously late: At Bhakra, when the level was only 6-14 feet below maximum; at Pong 2-18 feet; and at RSD just 2 feet below. This caused sudden torrents that breached embankments like the Dhussi bundh, flooding vast areas of Punjab. This mismanagement not only caused loss of life, homes, and crops, but also wasted precious water and electricity. In 2023 alone, it cost an estimated Rs.650 crore in lost power generation (Pong Rs.450 crore, Bhakra Rs.150 crore and RSD Rs.50 crore). Losses in 2025 up to September 10 already amount to Rs.1,150 crore (Pong Rs.500 crore, Bhakra Rs.350 crore and RSD Rs.300 crore). Scientific dam management is needed by basing reservoir operations on weather forecasts, not political compulsions. Punjab should use its share fully by building canals, distributaries, sluices, and check dams for groundwater recharge and better irrigation. Drinking water should be secured by ensuring 100% supply for households, industry, and farms. Infrastructure needs to be strengthened by cleaning canals, rivers, and drains regularly and reinforcing embankments like Dhussi bundh with modern engineering. The government must support farmers by expanding canal networks so that each acre gets its share in time, reducing dependence on tubewells. Environmental flows in rivers should be ensured, as ordered by the National Green Tribunal. The Punjab government must form an expert committee to objectively study dam operations and recommend unbiased, actionable reforms. Punjab's people cannot afford to pay the price of poor planning year after year. Floods may be natural, but the devastation we see today is largely man-made. Science, foresight, and accountability - not excuses - must guide our water management....