Widespread flooding has wreaked havoc across Punjab after India released excess water from the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers due to heavy monsoon rains. At least 22 people have lost their lives, with several others reported missing, while over 600,000 people have been affected by the calamity.
On Thursday, multiple rivers burst their banks, submerging hundreds of villages and sweeping away standing crops on millions of acres of farmland.
The Ravi River rose alarmingly at Shahdara, where the flow reached 145,160 cusecs, creating a high-level flood. A fresh wave of 155,000 cusecs is expected to reach Sharaqpur by 11 am, marking the first time since 1988 that water has reached the protective embankment there. At Jassar, the flow has dropped to 152,000 cusecs, while officials in Lahore said the situation was under control as the river’s capacity is 250,000 cusecs.
The Chenab River remains in a critical state. At Head Qadirabad, the water flow decreased by 100,000 cusecs compared to yesterday but remains dangerous as the headworks, with a capacity of 800,000 cusecs, is still under severe pressure. At Head Khanki, the flow has reduced from 1.05 million to 859,000 cusecs.
The Sutlej River continues to face an exceptional flood, with 261,000 cusecs recorded at Ganda Singh Wala and 191,000 cusecs at Head Marala. Moderate floods are also reported at Balloki on the Ravi and Sulemanki on the Sutlej.
Several districts have been severely affected. Narowal has witnessed entire villages submerged, with the Shakargarh–Narowal road underwater and thousands of acres of crops destroyed. In Qila Ahmadabad, floodwaters damaged the railway track, suspending train services. At Kot Naina in Shakargarh, multiple bridges have been swept away after the Ravi surged into nearby settlements. In Narang Mandi, thousands of acres of agricultural land and several villages were inundated, cutting off road links with surrounding areas. Residents of Kajjla, Jajugal, Merowal, Burj, Long Wala, Pasyanwala, and Mandiali have been forced to relocate their livestock to safer places without government assistance.
Authorities have launched emergency operations as the situation worsens. Rescue 1122 teams, police, the district administration, and army units have been mobilized in the worst-hit areas.
In Arifwala, villages including Dilawar, Noora Rath, and Tibi Lal Baig have been evacuated, while floodwaters near Sahiwal reached the GT Road and other key locations, posing a threat to infrastructure. The human toll continues to rise, with five deaths reported in Sialkot, four in Gujrat, three in Narowal, two in Hafizabad, and one in Gujranwala. In Shehbazpur, Gujrat, the embankment of the Chenab broke, sweeping away three children; two bodies have been recovered, while one was rescued alive. In Sialkot’s Sambarial area, three people remain missing.
The Punjab PDMA confirmed that all relevant departments remain on high alert, with reinforcement of embankments and emergency evacuations underway. Despite some decline in water levels, the situation remains precarious as the threat of further devastation looms.
