In the harrowing dawn of September 4, 2025, as relentless floodwaters tore through the districts of Gurdaspur and Amritsar, the lives of countless families in villages like Shahzada, Ghonewala, Machhiwala, Jattan, and Singhoke were shattered. Homes were swallowed, fields buried, and dreams drowned in the merciless deluge. Amid this overwhelming despair, the Centre for Youth Development and Activities (CYDA) emerged as a lifeline, delivering 300 emergency relief kits to stranded families who had lost everything, offering not just aid but a flicker of hope in their darkest hour.
The voices of the flood victims echo the depth of their suffering. “The government told us to stay home during the rains, but no one could imagine the water would rise so high that even our grain drums of wheat and rice would drown. We climbed to the terrace to save our lives,” wept a mother from Machhiwala, her voice trembling with the memory of that terrifying night. Another farmer, staring at the ruins of his fields, shared, “In one night, everything we had built with years of labour was washed away—our fields, our food, our shelter, our hope. We are left with nothing but the wet clothes on our bodies.”
It was in this scene of heartbreak that CYDA’s team emerged, wading through dangerously high waters, often braving currents that reached 12 feet, to reach the villages of Shahzada, Ghonewala, Machhiwala, Jattan, and Singhoke. These volunteers risked their own safety, moving on tractors across submerged roads and walking through isolation—because behind each door was a story of grief and survival. “We nurtured our fields like how parents nurture their children but today those very fields stand ruined, buried under muddy water.” For 300 families, the CYDA relief kit—Packed with essentials—500g of roasted chana, 400g of biscuits, 400g of rusks, 400g of dry milk, a packet of bread, and 2 litres of drinking water—the kits eased the gnawing hunger that had tormented children and elders alike. Hygiene items like Dettol soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, candles, matchboxes, and mosquito coils offered protection and comfort in waterlogged, unsafe conditions.
For most, these emergency kits were the first aid they received since disaster struck. “I had a dream to send my son to Australia for a better life. Today, I don’t even know how to put food on his plate.” The floodwaters left behind not only physical destruction but emotional scars; fields that once promised a future now offered nothing but ruin. The scale of loss was staggering. “We are farmers, dependent on the land for survival. Now the land itself has turned against us, and we stand empty-handed, homeless and jobless.” said a villager from Jattan, his voice heavy with defeat. The floods did not just wash away their harvest, but also “washed away our livelihood and our dreams”, another survivor lamented, her words a haunting reflection of the collective grief. Women from over 15 families shared that, apart from sparse airdropped packets of roasted chana, ORS powder, and bottled water from the Air Force, no substantial aid had reached them until CYDA arrived.
Throughout their operations, CYDA’s volunteers prioritized not photographs or documentation, but survival and connection, working in hazardous conditions filled with the stench of decaying animals hung heavy in the air, homes lay submerged, and access remained perilous. CYDA coordinated with Sikh-based organizations, local Gurudwaras, NGOs like UDAAN, and devoted community members, ensuring that the most vulnerable weren’t left behind. Their actions went beyond relief—they offered hope, compassion, and solidarity in a time when families felt most abandoned.
CYDA’s relief wasn’t just about kits—it was about reminding the people of Punjab that even in the darkest hour, help can arrive, not in grand gestures, but “in the courage of a few who dare to step forward”. CYDA’s firm commitment—swift, fearless, and deeply compassionate—stands as a call to action. With resources stretched thin and needs enormous, the call to donors and well-wishers grows louder: only through collective compassion can more families be saved, livelihoods restored, and dignity returned to those who have lost everything yet hold on to hope.
We implore donors and well-wishers to join this mission, to help mend the broken spirits of Punjab’s flood victims and restore the dreams that the waters tried to wash away.
