The floods of 2025 struck Punjab with a force not seen in decades. Heavy monsoon downpours, combined with high releases from Indian reservoirs, drove the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab into simultaneous flood peaks. More than 2.4 million people were affected, and over 3,100 villages and hamlets were inundated. The deluge displaced families, submerged farmland, and threatened to tear apart the economic backbone of rural Punjab. Yet, despite the enormity of the challenge, the province’s response has been marked by discipline, foresight, and coordination—qualities that prevented the disaster from escalating into catastrophe.

Figures alone convey the magnitude of the intervention. Nearly one million people were evacuated with unprecedented efficiency. Fatalities, though tragic, remained limited to 33–41—a remarkably low figure when compared with the scope of inundation. Authorities set up more than 500 relief camps, complemented by 352 medical centers and 300 veterinary camps, providing displaced families with shelter, food, healthcare, and protection for their animals. Police and rescue services deployed over 700 vehicles and 40 boats, while drone reconnaissance guided crews to cut-off families stranded in riverine pockets. In total, 480,000–600,000 people were rescued, alongside 167,000 livestock, preserving livelihoods as much as lives.

What distinguished this response was not just the scale of deployment, but........

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