The fields are full, but the paddy is brown and wilted, and the air is thick with the stench of rotting crops and livestock – the aftermath of record monsoon rains that have devastated India’s breadbasket.

In Punjab, often dubbed the country’s granary, the damage is unprecedented, as floods have swallowed farmlands almost the size of London and New York City combined.

Floods and landslides are common during the June–September monsoon season on the subcontinent, but experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency, severity, and effect.

Punjab saw rainfall surge by almost two-thirds compared with the average rate for August, according to the national weather department, killing at least 52 people and affecting more than 400,000.

Prime Mi

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