#NewsBytesExplainer: How Ranjit Sagar Dam triggered devastating floods in Punjab
In August 2024, Punjab was hit by severe floods after the Ranjit Sagar Dam released huge amounts of water with inadequate warning.
Heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir filled the dam to its limit, and sudden outflows overwhelmed areas like Gurdaspur, Pathankot, and Amritsar.
Poor reservoir management made things worse.
What went wrong at the dam
The dam's outflows shot way past safe levels for the Ravi River on August 26-27, even damaging floodgates downstream.
Instead of easing up when inflows dropped later in August, officials kept releasing high volumes to manage storage—prolonging flooding for days.
Experts' take on dam management during floods
Experts say this disaster exposed big flaws in how Punjab manages its dams.
While other dams handled record inflows with steady releases, Ranjit Sagar delayed action and then let too much water out at once.
Calls are growing for more transparency and smarter planning to avoid repeating these mistakes.
Need for better coordination and regular maintenance
The floods have made it clear: Punjab urgently needs better coordination between departments and regular maintenance of critical infrastructure.
Experts warn that unless dam operations focus more on preventing floods than just storing water, similar disasters could keep happening.