From August to October 1955, floods paralysed states across India. Be it the Brahmaputra in Assam, or the Ravi in Punjab and Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU), or the Mahanadi in Bihar, Jamuna in Delhi, or the Rapti in Uttar Pradesh, each rose and flooded the land. Bringing with it large-scale death, devastation and a complete breakdown of communication.

The figures were highest in Punjab, where 7,000 villages were inundated, 75,000 houses were destroyed and over 1,500 feared dead. In PEPSU, 5,000 of the 6,000 villages were affected by the floods which took a toll of 200 lives. Assam tea gardens were swamped when the Brahmaputra rose to one of its highest ever recorded levels. In Bihar, paddy and jute fields were swamped and over 5 lakh people were rendered homeless.

Following this nationwide calamity, the Times Group exhorted every Indian to make his or her contribution to The Times of India and Nav Bharat Times Relief Fund. The fund was opened with an initial contribution from Seth Ramakrishna Dalmia. Its collections were distributed among various agencies carrying out relief work in the affected states.