Sultanpur Lodhi: Life in Punjab’s flood-affected Mand region has slowly started returning to normal after a month-long struggle. The receding water level in the Beas river has brought major relief to residents of Baupur and nearby villages, who had been grappling with floodwaters for 30 days.
With the water level dropping, families have begun returning to their homes along with their cattle, and kitchen fires have started burning once again. Relief material, which earlier had to be transported on boats, is now reaching villages on tractors and trolleys.
On Tuesday morning, Rajya Sabha member and environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal visited Baupur village by car and distributed food supplies. Many villagers expressed grief over the complete loss of their paddy crop, considered the most profitable harvest, but said they were relieved to be back home.
Farmer leader Kuldeep Singh Sangra said he had witnessed major floods in 1988, 1993, 2008, 2019 and 2023, but the destruction caused by the 2025 floods had surpassed all previous ones. He said nearly 3,500 acres of farmland in 16–17 villages had been devastated, wiping out the entire paddy crop.
While water is still one-and-a-half to two feet deep in certain parts of the Mand, residents have begun drying their belongings in the sun and cleaning their homes. Many recalled that during the peak of the floods, they feared losing their families and homes to the water. However, the swift arrival of community-led relief efforts gave them confidence that survival was possible.
“The way people rushed to help flood victims in these difficult times has set an example in itself,” villagers said.
