Chandigarh, September 16, 2025: When floodwaters recede, they leave behind more than damaged homes and fields. Pools of stagnant water, rotting waste, contaminated drinking sources, and displaced animals can trigger outbreaks of disease that pose a threat to entire communities. Public health experts say preventing epidemics in such situations requires swift and coordinated interventions—from sanitation and water purification to vaccination and health surveillance.
Punjab, which experienced devastating floods earlier this year, has become an example of how governments can respond to this challenge. Under a large-scale campaign launched by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s administration, the state has combined medical outreach with cleanliness drives, vector control measures, and animal health programs.
Floods often create conditions favorable for the spread of waterborne and vector-borne diseases. Stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes that transmit malaria, dengue, and chikungunya. Overflowing sewage contaminates wells and hand pumps, increasing the risk of diarrhea, cholera, hepatitis A and E, and other gastrointestinal infections.
“After floods, the first 10 to 15 days are critical,” explained a senior Health Department official. “If sanitation and safe drinking water measures are not in place quickly, the chances of disease outbreaks rise sharply.”
In rural areas, livestock are equally vulnerable. Infections among cattle and goats not only harm farmers’ livelihoods but can also spread zoonotic diseases to humans.
In Punjab, the government launched medical camps across thousands of villages within days of the floods. On the very first day, more than 51,000 people were examined and given medicines. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) went door-to-door, checking on families and distributing essential medical kits that included oral rehydration salts, antiseptics, and fever medication.
“The idea was not to wait for patients to come to hospitals, but to reach them at their doorsteps,” Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said while supervising a sanitization drive in Nangal. “Wherever there is a risk of disease outbreak, quick action will be taken.”
At the same time, sanitation teams inspected over one lakh households for mosquito breeding sites. Larvicide spraying was carried out wherever larvae were found, while fogging drives were conducted in villages to contain dengue and malaria. Health workers said the speed of fogging was such that multiple villages were being covered daily.
Public health experts stress that clean drinking water is the single most important factor in post-flood disease prevention. In Punjab’s affected areas, chlorine tablets were distributed to households, and residents were advised to boil water before use. Community-level water tanks were disinfected regularly.
“Safe drinking water can prevent up to 70 percent of post-flood illnesses,” said Dr. Sukhpreet Kaur, a community medicine specialist in Ludhiana. She added that health awareness campaigns are as important as medical aid. “People need to be told how to store water safely, how to wash hands, and how to protect food from contamination.”
Punjab’s campaign also included vaccination drives for livestock, recognizing the crucial role animals play in rural households. Farmers said they felt reassured that veterinary teams were visiting villages to vaccinate cattle against common infections.
“This was a big relief,” said Gurmeet Singh, a farmer in Ropar district. “Our cattle are our lifeline. After the floods, we were worried they would fall sick. The government’s vaccination teams gave us hope.”
The Role of Ministers and Legislators
Unlike previous flood responses where officials remained confined to offices, Punjab’s ministers and legislators took direct charge of operations. Harjot Singh Bains himself joined sanitation workers in spraying streets and monitoring garbage removal in Nangal. Villagers said this visible presence boosted morale and restored faith in the system.
“What makes this effort different is that the government is knocking on our doors itself,” said one resident. “For the first time, we feel the government is standing with us, not apart from us.”
Officials and health experts advise residents in flood-hit areas to follow basic preventive steps:
• Boil water before drinking or use chlorine tablets provided by health workers.
• Wash hands with soap after using toilets and before handling food.
• Keep food covered and consume freshly cooked meals.
• Drain stagnant water near homes to prevent mosquito breeding.
• Use mosquito nets or repellents at night.
• Report fever, diarrhea, or skin rashes immediately to health workers.
• Ensure livestock vaccinations and keep animals away from contaminated areas.
Long-Term Solutions
While emergency measures are crucial, experts argue that sustainable solutions must include stronger sewage systems, stormwater drains, and regular desilting of rivers. In Punjab, officials said lessons from this year’s floods would be factored into future urban planning and rural infrastructure.
“Floods may be natural disasters, but epidemics are man-made,” Dr. Kaur said. “If sanitation, water safety, and health surveillance are institutionalized, we can prevent large-scale health crises.”
A Message of Trust
For Punjab’s government, the post-flood health campaign is also being framed as a matter of public confidence. “What is reaching the villages is not only medicine, but also a message—that the government treats its people like family,” the Health Department said in a statement.
With ministers, MLAs, and employees working in the field, officials say the effort is as much about preventing illness as about rebuilding trust. For residents in flood-hit villages, that message seems to have resonated.
As one villager put it: “This is not just about cleaning streets or spraying medicine. It is about showing that in our hardest times, the government is standing with us.”
