Lahore [Pakistan]: Monsoon rains have unleashed devastating floods across Punjab province, killing at least 33 people, inundating 2,200 villages, and forcing over 700,000 residents to evacuate. Officials say this is among the worst flooding crises the province has ever faced.
Irfan Ali Kathia, Director General of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), said water levels in all three major rivers remain dangerously high. Although the Sutlej River near Kasur has started to recede, a flow of 135,000 cusecs is expected to reach Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, and Vehari by tomorrow, raising fresh concerns.
Flood discharge at Treemoon Barrage surged to 361,633 cusecs, rising by nearly 100,000 cusecs within hours, intensifying the threat. Authorities have resorted to breaching embankments strategically to control the spread and minimize damage to densely populated areas.
According to PDMA, nearly two million people in Punjab have been affected so far. Thousands of livestock have been relocated, and relief teams are working in the hardest-hit districts. Kathia said the ongoing ninth spell of monsoon rains has worsened the crisis, leading to widespread destruction.
Meanwhile, Sindh province also faces looming danger, with more than 1.6 million people across 1,657 villages at risk, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon warned. He said ministers and district authorities are monitoring the ground situation, while preventive measures are underway.
In Punjab alone, more than 1.5 million residents have been impacted and 481,000 people shifted to safer locations. Rising waters in Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi rivers continue to submerge large areas, as officials scramble to manage the disaster.
