Ravi river fury tears down 30 km of Indo-Pak border fence in Punjab

The swollen Ravi river has unleashed devastation across Punjab’s frontier belt, sweeping away nearly 30 km of border fencing along the Indo-Pak line, submerging dozens of Border Security Force (BSF) outposts, and breaching protective embankments in Gurdaspur, Amritsar, and Pathankot districts.

Officials confirmed more than 50 breaches in the bundhs, with some gaps stretching up to a kilometre wide, including near the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor in Dera Baba Nanak sector. “In Gurdaspur alone, 30 to 40 of our posts were submerged. Around 30 km of fencing has been washed away or damaged,” said A.K. Vidyarthi, DIG, BSF Punjab Frontier. Despite the scale of destruction, no casualties were reported as BSF personnel evacuated men and equipment in time.

The floods have forced BSF to abandon its iconic posts, with troops taking shelter in religious sites like the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. Even Pakistan Rangers across the border were compelled to vacate forward positions.

The breach has created unprecedented vulnerabilities along the zero line, raising concerns about infiltration and drug trafficking. Smugglers reportedly attempted to exploit the chaos but were repelled by BSF patrols. “One infiltrator was caught while trying to misuse the situation,” an official said.

Amid the disaster, BSF has also launched large-scale relief operations, evacuating thousands from inundated villages in Ferozepur and Abohar, while setting up medical and veterinary camps to prevent disease outbreaks.

Drainage department engineers warned that repairs to major breaches could take up to six weeks. “Plugging will take time; full restoration will take longer,” said Dilpreet Singh, XEN, Gurdaspur drainage division.

Though water levels are now stabilizing and the weather outlook is improving, vast stretches of Punjab’s international border remain exposed—an extraordinary reminder of how nature, in one sweep, can redraw man-made lines.