Illegal Mining and AAP’s Negligence Made Punjab Floods a Maan-Made Disaster: Tarun Chugh

Chandigarh, September 29, 2025: BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, addressing the Lokaan Di Vidhan Sabha program in Chandigarh, launched a scathing attack on the AAP government for turning Punjab’s floods into a “Maan-made Disaster.” He said illegal mining, collapse of Dhussi embankments, and sheer negligence of the state government resulted in devastation across 2,100 villages.

Chugh reminded that Punjab had been protected for decades by nearly 900 km of Dhussi embankments built along the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Ghaggar rivers. These embankments were strengthened under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Sardar Parkash Singh Badal’s leadership with central support. However, the present AAP government allowed these embankments to be weakened by the mining mafia.

He revealed that between 2022–2025, the AAP government promised Rs. 20,000 crore revenue from mining, but only Rs. 288 crore reached the state treasury. “Where did the rest Rs. 19,622 crore go?” he asked, calling it the biggest loot of Punjab’s resources.
Citing IMD data, Chugh said rainfall was only 24% above normal, yet the floods devastated Punjab because no anti-flood meetings were held from January to May 2025. Even when tenders for 2800 km embankments were floated, work never began. This was deliberately blocked under pressure from the mining mafia.

He further exposed how village sarpanches had repeatedly written to the government warning of embankment breaches due to illegal mining, but no action was taken. FIRs filed against protesting villagers showed how the mafia unleashed violence to silence people. “The protectors of embankments became their destroyers,” Chugh remarked.

Chugh saluted the role of NDRF, Army, gurdwaras, temples, and volunteers who ensured no one slept hungry during the floods. He urged for a long-term plan: complete repair of Dhussi embankments using MNREGA, a transparent mining policy, and creation of a scientific task force for flood management.

Concluding, Chugh demanded FIRs and CBI inquiry against officials and leaders who failed Punjab, and called for Rs. 100 crore rehabilitation fund for affected families. “This is not a natural calamity, but a crime against Punjab by AAP’s negligence and mafia greed. BJP stands firmly with the people of Punjab,” he said.