Rana demands accountability from BBMB, calls for all-party meeting to prevent flood disasters in future

Rana demands accountability from BBMB, calls for all-party meeting to prevent flood disasters in future

Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ September 6,2025

Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Sultanpur Lodhi, Rana Inder Partap Singh, in a strong worded statement has called for immediate accountability and structural reform of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) in the wake of devastating floods that have submerged lakhs of hectares of standing crops across Punjab.

Rana Inder Partap Singh expressed deep concern over the ineffectiveness and inaction of the BBMB, which manages the water regulation from the Bhakra and Pong dams over the Sutlej and Beas rivers. “The BBMB has failed in its responsibility to safeguard the people and agriculture of Punjab. Timely and appropriate steps were not taken, which led to catastrophic flooding,” said Rana Inder Partap Singh.

Refuting possible BBMB claims that this year’s monsoon brought an unprecedented amount of water, Sultanpur Lodhi legislator argued that the failure to release surplus water from the previous season compounded the disaster. “Had the board not carried forward the load of water from last year, the scale of this disaster would have been minimal. The disaster was foreseeable and avoidable,” he stated.

Emphasizing the need for a collective political response, Rana Inder Partap Singh has called for an all-party meeting to fix accountability on the BBMB and to devise a comprehensive and proactive mechanism that ensures such disasters are prevented in the future.

“It is high time that all political parties rise above partisan interests and come together to protect the lives, livelihoods, and fields of Punjab’s people,” he said.

Highlighting the situation in his own constituency, Rana Inder Partap Singh noted that Sultanpur Lodhi was among the first to be hit by floodwaters, given its geographical proximity to Harike, the critical confluence point of the Sutlej and Beas rivers. Later the flood water spread in all directions submerging standing paddy crop which would have been mature and harvested in less than a month’s time.

“The people Punjab particularly the farmers have suffered the most. Yet, we are still waiting for effective intervention and support,” he added.

The MLA also pointed out the failure to implement basic flood control measures in time. “Despite repeated warnings, rivers, canals, and watercourses were not de-silted. The embankments remained weak and neglected. I raised this issue well in advance, but the warnings were ignored,” said Rana Inder Partap Singh. “In my opinion, politicians can often foresee such problems. But this time, they failed—and the people paid the price,” he added.

Rana Inder Partap Singh urged both the state and central governments to take immediate action against the lapses and reform BBMB functioning to make it more transparent, accountable, and responsive. “We owe it to our farmers, to our future, and to the very soil of Punjab,” he reiterated.