Amid a forecast of light to moderate rains over parts of northwestern India over the coming few days, the southwest monsoon commenced retreat from Panjab and Haryana on 16 Sep. However, on that day the water level in Pong Dam over river Beas was 1,393.50 feet, 3.5 feet above the maximum permissible level. The level at Bhakra Dam on river Satluj was 1,676.14 feet, 4 feet below the maximum permissible limit. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has deputed 25 Union ministers of state (MoS) to visit the flood-affected districts of Panjab between 11-20 Sep. Some BJP-led state governments, including in Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat, Goa, and Uttar Pradesh, have extended nominal financial or relief aid to Panjab as a gesture of solidarity with the flood victims. On 18 Sep, after union ministers Jitendra Singh and Jitin Prasada visited flood-hit areas in Pathankot and Gurdaspur, the Indian union government approved a proposal by the Panjab government to declare the state 'severely flooded'. Panjab is now expecting a higher allocation of funds and will also be able to get a 50-year soft loan of USD 67M, under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment scheme. During the floods, Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal distributed cash and diesel. SAD rebel leaders said the cash belongs to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) from the offering of the devotees to Gurdwaras. The SGPC denied the allegations and has published fund records to ensure transparency. However, on the basis of a Kendri (central) Sri Guru Singh Sabha (organization) report from 2020, the parallel SAD headed by Giani Harpreet Singh accused Badal to have amassed money from marketing Gurbani (Hymns) relayed from Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple). Meanwhile, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar said on 19 Sep that the water saved by India placing the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in abeyance will be made available to Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan within the next 1.5 years. It seems the politicians have learnt no lessons from the 2025 floods (earlier coverage).
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