2025: Dam Induced Flood Incidents in India

December 5, 2025December 10, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Locals assist in moving flood affected people to a safer place as floodwater enters villages in Ajnala, near Amritsar. Source)

India has witnessed several incidents of dam induced floods during south west monsoon 2025. The most remarkable and devastating episode unfolded in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh states in August 2025 largely due to mismanagement of Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams by BBMB. While negligence of BBMB has invited FIRs in Himachal Pradesh, warnings by Punjab govt and petition in NGT, there is no report in public domain suggesting the authority taking any credible action to make its dam operation scientific and accountable after the disaster.

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Sept. 2025: Six Killed in Luti Dam Flood Disaster in Chhattisgarh

September 10, 2025September 10, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Damaged Sadsa Luti dam in Balrampur)

A flash flood disaster caused by a significant breach in Luti dam bund has killed six people while one remained missing in Dhaneshpur village near Vishram Nagar under Balrampur district of Chhattisgarh. Six of the flood victims are members of a single family living about 500 meter downstream from the dam area. About eleven villagers were swept away by strong current of waters. Some of them managed to save their lives by holding on to trees and swimming to their safety. Three persons also suffered injuries in this dam induced flood incident.

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Dam Induced Flood Disaster

Punjab Floods 2025: Role of Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar Dams

September 7, 2025September 8, 2025 SANDRP3 Comments

Every dam can potentially help moderate floods to some extent in the downstream area. This is possible only when the dam is operated with that objective in mind. However, when the dam is NOT operated with that objective and is filled up as soon as there is water available, the same dam can in fact bring avoidable flood disaster in the downstream area.

This is exactly what has happened in Punjab ONCE AGAIN during the 2025 SW Monsoon. This has happened on numerous occasions in the past including in 1978, 1988 and 2023, for example.

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Dam Induced Flood Disaster · Dam Safety · Dams, Rivers & People · Indus

DRP 010925: Punjab floods need independent inquiry

September 1, 2025 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Punjab WRD minister Barinder Kumar Goyal asserted that the timely release of water by the BBMB in June could have significantly reduced the damage caused by the floods.)

It is clear from the following details that the massive floods that Punjab experienced and parts continue to experience even now has a lot to do with the way Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams were operated. There was sufficient actionable information that was available to take advance water release action. Had these actions been taken, the proportions of the disaster could have been reduced. The risk of further floods remains considering the IMD forecast of heavy rains in catchments of these dams during the remaining weeks of SW Monsoon 2025.

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Dam Induced Flood Disaster · Floods

DRP 250825: Threat of Dam Floods continue to be ignored

August 25, 2025December 5, 2025 SANDRP2 Comments

(Feature Image: The release of water from Pong Dam has brought devastation to Mand Bhograwan village in Kangra district, where the sudden rise in the Beas river has submerged several acres of fertile land and put houses at risk. Aug 17.)

Sudden release of large quantity of water from the dams has the potential of creating avoidable floods in the downstream areas as we could see last week in case of Ukai Dam water releases affecting Surat in South Gujarat, Ujani and Jayakwadi dam water releases in Maharashtra, Bhakra and Pong dam releases in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, among others. In all these cases, we can show that earlier water release was warranted based on available information, considering the carrying capacity of the downstream river, but such action was delayed till either the dam was full before water started (e.g. Ujani and Jayakwadi) or too large water releases created avoidable flood impacts in case of Ukai Dam on Tapi River in South Gujarat and also in case of Bhakra and Pong dams. There were also extensive damages in Mirzapur and Chandauli districts of Uttar Pradesh due to sudden release of water from a number of dams including Chandra Prabha Dam, Ahraura dam and Jargo Dam among others.

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Dam floods · Dam Induced Flood Disaster · Dam Safety

August 2024: Tonga Dam Breach floods Madhya Pradesh villages

September 11, 2024September 11, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Breach in Tonga dam. Source: ETV Bharat)

A breach in earthen Tonga dam has flooded half a dozen villages in Sabalgarh tehsil of Morena district in Madhya Pradesh. The breach occurred in intervening night of August 12-13, 2024. As per reports, the dam first overflowed following rainfall, leading to the breach.

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Dam Induced Flood Disaster

July 2024: NMDC’s Iron Ore ‘Check-Dam’ Flood Disaster in Chhattisgarh

July 26, 2024 SANDRPLeave a comment

(Feature Image: Screenshot of NMDC’s ‘check-dam’ in flooded condition. Image Credit: NDTV MP/Chhattisgarh)

An iron ore check-dam of the National Mineral Development Corporation (NDMC) has breached and created flood disaster in downstream area of Kirandul town in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh. The breach of earthen dam located between mines 11 B & 11 in eastern ridge of Bailadila range occurred around 3 pm on Jul 21, 2024 following heavy rainfall.

The subsequent deluge has affected several homes and vehicles in Bengali camp located downhill the dam in Kirandul town. There was chaos among the residents who fled to their safety seeing the flash flood. A six-year-old kid on his way to attend tuition class was washed away. The child was later rescued safely and hospitalized as per the Amar Ujala report.

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CWC - Central Water Commission · Dam Induced Flood Disaster · Ganga

Why are Patna & Bhagalpur facing unprecedented floods on India’s 75th independence day?

August 14, 2021August 19, 2021 SANDRP1 Comment

As India prepares to celebrate 75^th Independence day on August 15, 2021, large parts of Bihar along the Ganga river, including Patna (flood water entered colonies near Ganga in Patna) and Bhagalpur are preparing to face unprecedented floods. In fact, Central Water Commission’s (CWC) flood monitoring site at Hathidah in Patna district crossed the HIGHEST FLOOD LEVEL (HFL) of 43.17 m at 0300 hours in early morning on Aug 13, 2021. The water level is already at 43.33 m at 1300 hrs on Aug 14. It is forecast to reach 43.45 m by 0800 on independence day still with rising trend. This is apparent from the CWC hydrograph of this site shown above.

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Dam Disaster · Dam Induced Flood Disaster

Andhra Pradesh: Pulichintala Dam Gate disaster shows improper maintenance and operation

August 12, 2021August 22, 2021 SANDRPLeave a comment

In another dam related disaster in Andhra Pradesh, a flood gate of K L Rao multi-purpose irrigation project also known as Pulichintala Dam was washed away on August 5, 2021 raising flood alarm in downstream areas along Krishna river. As per latest information the gate has been fixed and officials have started filling up the reservoir again. However, there is no official statement regarding exact causes, financial losses, damages to dam structure and downstream flood impact caused by the apparently avoidable dam disaster. The rule curve seems to be violated in operation of every dam and the gates do not seem to have been properly maintained. An independent enquiry needs to be immediately set up to find out what lessons we can learn and how we can fix accountability for the disaster.

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Dam Induced Flood Disaster

Dam Floods & Embankment Breaches in South West Monsoon 2020

November 4, 2020November 4, 2020 SANDRPLeave a comment

Improper operations of dams, disasters related to dams and hydro projects and breaching of embankments have been aggravating flood disasters during every monsoon. There have been several such incidents during South West Monsoon 2020, taking heavy toll on people and property which could have been avoided or impacts reduced in many cases with proper dam operations and proper maintenance of the embankments. This compilation attempts to put together all such instances when avoidable flood disasters were created by improper operation of dams and breaching of embankments in the south west monsoon 2020.

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