How Floods and Landslides This Year Will Change the Food on Our Plate

As torrential rain lashes the Himalayan foothills and plains alike, the floods and landslides this year have done more than wash away homes and roads; they have begun to change what ends up on our plates.

From the waterlogged fields of Punjab and Haryana to the landslide-hit hills of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Darjeeling and Kashmir, from tea gardens in West Bengal to Marathwada region, the damage has upended farming cycles, disrupted transport routes and triggered fears of a fresh food inflation surge. 

Punjab’s Fields Underwater, A Shock to India’s Food Basket

Punjab, often dubbed the country’s grain bowl, has been hit hardest. More than 1.75 lakh acres of farmland lie submerged, affecting around 1,650 villages across all 23 districts. Paddy, cotton and maize, key kharif crops, have suffered widespread damage, raising fears of supply shocks. Reportedly, the torrential rains in the Northwest may fuel food inflation, with Punjab “worst hit.”

“This year’s harvest was supposed to cover our debts,” said Gurvinder Singh, a farmer from Gurdaspur. “But this field is a lake now, and I don’t know how I will start again. The soil is destroyed, and it will need a long preparation before it is fertile like before. It will be a long fight now.” His fears are not unfounded. Punjab contributes nearly a quarter of India’s rice procurement for the Public Distribution System, meaning national reserves could feel the strain.

The state government has begun procuring free wheat seed for flood-hit farmers to help replant for the rabi season, but agricultural economists warn that yield losses and waterlogging could still push cereal prices higher.

When Terraces Turn to Mudslides in Himalayan States

Further north, the situation is equally dire. Flash floods in Uttarakhand’s Dharali valley in early August buried markets under mud, destroyed hillside terraces and swept away bridges, choking supply chains for weeks. “My vegetable terraces are gone under mud and silt,” said Lakshmi Devi, a small farmer from Chamoli. “I had hoped to sell my produce to this Delhi restaurant that contacted me, but now I have nothing to sell.”

According to senior scientist Dr Ravi Chopra, “streams like the Kheer Gad carry sediments; building settlements on those debris-fan regions is like choking safety valves, it is bound to break out.” With increasingly erratic rainfall patterns, the Himalayas’ delicate terrain has become a hotspot for climate-linked disasters.

He also adds, “The coupling of monsoon systems with more frequent western disturbances is exacerbating floods in Himalayan catchments, a clear climate signal. We must expect more frequent disruptions to farming cycles.”

Darjeeling’s Recent Landslides and Soaring Market Prices

The eastern Himalayas haven’t escaped the deluge. In Darjeeling, landslides and swollen rivers have severed road links and submerged entire tea plantations. Locals from vegetable markets in Ghoom and Sukhiapokhri are reporting steep price hikes: squash has doubled to Rs. 40 per kg, and garlic has climbed from Rs. 80 to Rs. 100. Traders say supply routes are blocked for days, with fresh produce rotting in stranded trucks.

“Landslides took away our garden paths and washed soil from bushes,” said Sanjay Lepcha, a smallholder from Darjeeling. “Recovery will take years.” Across major Indian cities, vegetable prices have surged by 8–34 per cent in recent weeks, according to Goldmine Stocks. The worst-affected are India’s “TOP” crops: tomatoes, onions and potatoes, staples of the middle-class kitchen and the core of the food inflation index.

Environmental researcher Mansi Asher explains, “We may not see nationwide famine, but locally, price volatility will surge. The poorest will pay a disproportionate burden.”

While North India battles flood fallout, Maharashtra’s Marathwada region has endured historic rainfall and crop destruction. The state reports that floods and torrential rains in August–September wiped out crops over 68.69 lakh hectares—nearly half of its sown area. In response, the Maharashtra government has announced a Rs. 31,628 crore relief package for flood-hit farmers, the largest such aid in state history.

The damage is not confined to the Himalayas and Marathwada. In Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district, heavy rains led to massive agricultural losses over 2.9 lakh hectares, affecting cotton, pigeon pea, green gram and more. Elsewhere, in West Bengal’s Dooars region, floods and silt destroyed 950 hectares of tea plantations, inflicting losses of over ₹50 crore. These events show that floods are no longer regional blips: they are challenging India’s assumption of stable year-to-year crop cycles across states.

Traders and Transporters Grapple with Rising Costs

Floods haven’t just damaged crops; they’ve also crippled the supply chains that keep urban markets running. “We used to bring so much saak (leafy vegetables) from hill farms daily,” said Harjit Singh, a vegetable trader in Ludhiana. “Now those farms are inundated, and transport is disrupted. I buy from farther, costlier regions.”

With roads washed out across Himachal and Punjab, transportation costs have risen by 15–25 per cent. These expenses inevitably pass down the chain, pushing retail prices higher. Economists note that food inflation already accounts for over 40 per cent of India’s Consumer Price Index basket, and such shocks could easily tip national inflation beyond the Reserve Bank’s comfort zone.

Niche Restaurants Face Ingredient Shortages and Rising Bills

For restaurants specialising in Himalayan cuisine, the floods pose an existential challenge. Milla Mama Kitchen, a Delhi-based pahadi restaurant, has seen its signature dishes disrupted by broken supply chains. “Last week, my supplier in Sikkim told me he can’t send wild mushrooms or herbs, roads are cut, fields flooded,” said the owner, "I have to import substitutes from other regions, which raises costs. I might even drop a few dishes from the menu.”

Pahadi restaurants rely on niche ingredients—buckwheat (kuttu), local greens, Himalayan chillies, wild herbs and mountain dairy, all sourced from small farmers in high-altitude regions. With climate-linked disruptions becoming frequent, such restaurants are struggling to preserve authenticity while maintaining prices. Large niche restaurant chains may adapt through scale, but smaller independent outlets are far more vulnerable.

What Governments Can and Must Do Next

While Punjab’s emergency seed support is a start, experts insist on a systemic overhaul. India is considering a nationwide climate-linked insurance scheme that would offer faster payouts to farmers affected by floods or droughts. There’s also growing pressure to redesign rural infrastructure, roads, storage and irrigation, with resilience in mind.

“The future of food security now depends on how fast we adapt,” said Dr Chopra, “These floods are not freak events; they are structural outcomes of a warming, destabilised monsoon.”

In the west, the Maharashtra government has announced the provision for disbursing the Rs 31,628-crore relief package for flood-affected farmers and their families. 

The floods of 2025 are more than a regional calamity; they’re a stress test for India’s food system. What happens in the fields of Punjab or the slopes of Darjeeling doesn’t stay there; it ripples across kitchens, markets and restaurant menus nationwide.

For now, the rains may have stopped, but their aftertaste lingers: on the table, in the kitchen, and in every meal that costs a little more than it did the week before.