Haryana floods: Surjewala blames govt inaction alongside nature's wrath

As Haryana grapples with relentless floods and submerged towns, senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday, 8 September, accused the Nayab Singh Saini government of compounding nature’s wrath with “incompetence and inaction”, turning the monsoon’s fury into a man-made calamity.

Surjewala, who recently toured many flood-affected areas, said the government had failed to take preventive measures despite early warnings of heavy monsoon rains. “This calamity is not solely due to nature, but also due to the administration’s failure to act,” he said.

Highlighting long-standing lapses, he added that flood control board meetings are held every year before the monsoon, with senior officials aware of vulnerable areas, drains, and embankments that need strengthening. Yet this year, no preparations were made: embankments were not reinforced, drains and canals were left uncleared, pumping sets were unavailable, and mock drills were never conducted.

हरियाणा के मुख्यमंत्री नायब सैनी को हैलीकॉप्टर से जमीन पर उतरकर बाढ़ राहत का काम करने की जरूरत है। थोड़े दिन के लिए ‘कॉमेडी शो’ पर विराम लगाएं।

न तैयारी, न बाढ़ प्रबंधन, न बाढ़ रोकथाम - यही है नायब सैनी सरकार का अपराधिक चेहरा।

मेरा वक्तव्य 👇 pic.twitter.com/nWzgF1OdVn

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) September 8, 2025

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Surjewala painted a grim picture of the state: 11 cities and 72 towns are submerged, thousands of acres of farmland ruined, crops destroyed, and industrial areas in Ambala, Bahadurgarh, and Yamunanagar underwater. Rivers including the Yamuna, Ghaggar, Markanda, Tangri, and Som have overflowed, with breached embankments worsening the flooding.

He also blamed rampant mining, river diversion, and unchecked exploitation of sand and stone by the mining mafia for aggravating the crisis. Specific drainage failures in Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Rohtak, Bahadurgarh, Ambala, Jhajjar, and Sonipat have worsened flooding, leaving tube wells and pumps damaged, drinking water contaminated, and hundreds of cattle swept away.

Despite the immense human and economic loss, Surjewala said the Saini government has yet to seek central assistance from agencies such as the NDRF, paramilitary forces, or the army for relief and rescue operations.

Demanding accountability and relief, he called for compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre to farmers and Rs 1 lakh per animal lost. He also urged that special funds be allocated to panchayats in affected villages within 30 days to repair roads, schools, and community infrastructure.

“Nature’s fury alone cannot explain the devastation. The government’s apathy has magnified the suffering of Haryana’s people,” Surjewala concluded, warning that the human and economic toll will continue unless immediate action is taken.

With PTI inputs