How A Rail Coach Factory Owner Built 100 Boats in a Week to Rescue Punjab Flood Victims

The floods in Punjab have turned once-bustling villages into islands. Families huddle on rooftops, livestock wades through chest-deep waters, and cries for help echo across submerged fields. Rescue teams battle the rising current, but the scale of devastation is overwhelming.

In Kapurthala, businessman Pritpal Singh Hanspal was watching these scenes unfold. Owner of Hanspal Traders, a factory that usually makes railway components, he knew he had to act. Within a week, he had transformed his factory floor into a lifeline — manufacturing 100 boats for flood-affected villages.

From rail coaches to lifeboats

Hanspal Traders, located approximately 20 km from Baupur, one of the flood-hit sites, usually produces railway components such as coach seats, interiors, roofs, and side walls. But when Pritpal saw villages turning into vast lakes, something stirred within him. And he chose to put his resources to a different use.

“An entire year, I use my factory to make money. This one time, I wanted to serve the people of Punjab and our country by turning my workspace into a workshop to make boats,” he tells The Better India.

Boats that became lifelines

Each boat, measuring 5 by 12 feet, is strong enough to carry up to 700 kg — whether people, food, medicines, rescue material, or even livestock. Made from mild steel sheets, the boats are lightweight, durable, and easy to assemble

“They also come with the option to attach a motor for quicker navigation during emergencies,” the 53-year-old explains.

Despite facing a staff shortage due to the floods, Pritpal ensured the work never stopped. In just a week, his team produced 100 boats that are now being used for rescue and relief across Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Jalandhar, Mansa, Moga, and beyond.

A people’s effort

Much of the coordination came from local sarpanches, who guided Pritpal’s team on where the boats were most urgently needed. From ferrying stranded families to delivering food and medicines, these boats have quickly become lifelines for dozens of villages.

One man’s promise to Punjab

Pritpal doesn’t see himself as a hero. He calls it a simple act of duty. “I just wanted to do my bit for Punjab,” he says.

As floodwaters continue to rise, his decision to repurpose his rail-coach factory into a boat-making workshop stands as a reminder that compassion, when matched with action, can turn one man’s idea into hope for thousands.

Edited by Khushi Arora.