The 2025 southwest monsoon triggered Punjab’s most severe flood in forty years. In late August, all major rivers in the state overflowed at the same time, driven by intense rainfall across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, and worsened by sudden releases from swollen dams. By early September, when waters receded, more than 800,000 people had been displaced. About 0.17 million hectares of farmland were submerged, and key infrastructure including roads, bridges and drainage networks suffered extensive damage. The state has since released funds and foodgrains for relief and rehabilitation, but the frequency of such disasters highlights the need for long-term mitigation rather than short-term fixes.
Punjab’s third major flooding event since 2019 has renewed attention on a possible, largely overlooked solution: the state’s large stock of abandoned borewells. Borewells proliferated after the Green Revolution and increased sharply from the late 1990s when groundwater stood at about 12 metres. Two decades of intensive extraction pushed water levels down to depths of 150 metres or more. As the water table fell, farmers kept deepening their wells until many became defunct and were eventually abandoned.
The state agriculture department estimates Punjab has around 1.4 million abandoned borewells, with nearly 1 million left uncovered. The actual count may be higher due to wider use of submersible pumps and larger-diameter wells. These open structures pose fatal risks, especially to children, with several accidents reported. Yet they also represent an opportunity to aid both flood management and groundwater recharge.
Research by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation shows that abandoned borewells can be converted into effective recharge systems. The process begins with a hydrogeological assessment to evaluate aquifer depth, water quality and structural stability. Once deemed safe, the borewell is cleaned of silt and debris and flushed with compressed air or high-pressure jets. Damaged casings are replaced with slotted PVC pipes, and a recharge shaft is then designed to channel monsoon runoff underground, helping restore depleted aquifers while reducing flood impact.