LAHORE:
Floodwaters continued to batter the country’s heartland on Thursday, pushing the death toll to 884 and prompting urgent warnings of further havoc in Punjab and Sindh.
Authorities said that to save Multan from being flooded, they are considering breaching the Chenab riverbank. That will allow water to be released into the city’s outskirts so the river’s levels can come down.
Heavy rain in the Himalayas continued to lash Pakistan on Thursday with flooding of homes and highways worsening as major rivers overflowed.
The met office has warned that rain is expected to continue until September 9.
A fierce monsoon season has brought immense destruction in the region this year, killing 880 in Pakistan over the season. Torrential rain has swollen many rivers, spurring authorities in India to release water from dams and further flooding areas on both sides of the border.
The countries share rivers, which flow from India into Pakistan. New Delhi has issued seven warnings to Islamabad about opening dam gates, three in the last 24 hours, officials in Pakistan said.
Irfan Ali Kathia, director-general of the Punjab Disaster Management Authority, told Reuters on Thursday that three rivers in Pakistan have been affected by the release of more water from Indian dams.
India opened spillways at the Baglihar and Salal dams on Chenab, citing heavy rainfall in upstream catchments.
Through diplomatic channels, New Delhi also warned Islamabad of releases from the Harike and Ferozepur headworks on Sutlej. Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources issued a flood alert in response.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in Punjab has released details regarding water levels at Indian dams. It has warned that water levels at these reservoirs are on a continuous rise.
According to PDMA Director General, the situation is being monitored round-the-clock.
At Pong Dam in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, the water level at the Beas River has reached 1,394.51 feet. Inflow at the dam is recorded at 132,595 cusecs, while outflow stands at 100,000 cusecs.
At Bhakra Dam built at the Sutlej River also in Himachal Pradesh, the water level has risen to 1,679 feet, approaching maximum capacity. Inflow is 95,400 cusecs, while outflow is 73,459 cusecs.
At Harike Headworksat the confluence of the Sutlej and Beas riversinflow has reached 347,500 cusecs, with outflow recorded at 330,677 cusecs. The PDMA stated that both inflow and outflow are rising steadily.
In Punjab, 1.8 million people have been evacuated in recent weeks after floodwaters submerged nearly 3,900 villages.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in its latest bulletin that one fatality was reported in Swabi, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, while four people were injured in Lahore and Sheikhupura over the past 24 hours.
Since June 26, Punjab has recorded 223 deaths and 653 injuries, while Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa remains the worst-hit province with 489 fatalities and 359 injuries. Sindh has reported 58 deaths, Gilgit-Baltistan 41, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 38, Balochistan 26 and Islamabad nine.
The floods have damaged more than 9,200 houses nationwide, including 4,700 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and over 2,100 in Azad Kashmir. Nearly 6,200 livestock have been lost. At least 239 bridges and 671 kilometers of roads have also been washed away or severely damaged.
In the past 24 hours alone, 31 more houses were damaged across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
Rescue operations remain intensive. In the last 24 hours, 989 operations in Punjab alone rescued nearly one million people, while 61 operations in Sindh evacuated 28,940. Nationwide, more than 2.1 million people have been rescued since the floods began.
Relief supplies — including tents, ration packs, mattresses, mosquito nets, tarpaulins and life jackets — are being distributed by federal and provincial agencies with support from humanitarian partners.
Punjab rivers breach embankments
At Ganda Singh Wala in Kasur, a flood wave of more than 319,000 cusecs submerged over 100 villages and nearly 18,000 acres of farmland. In Lodhran and Vehari, breaches in protective embankments left entire settlements under water.
The Ravi and Chenab also wreaked havoc. Floodwaters entered homes in Kabirwala after makeshift levees collapsed, while in Multan the Ravi reached the railway bridge. In Shujaabad, dozens of villages were submerged, and breaches in canals near Sidhnai and Rango left thousands displaced.
Gujrat city also endured a separate disaster after 577 millimeters of rainfall in 24 hours triggered severe urban flooding, submerging streets, government offices and shops under up to four feet of water. Mosques broadcast repeated announcements urging residents to move to safer ground.
Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed said more than 3.8 million people have been affected across Punjab, with 1.8 million already evacuated. At least 46 deaths in Punjab have been linked to the flooding.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said about 4,000 villages are submerged, 1.5 million residents rescued, and more than one million livestock relocated.
Agriculture has been devastated. More than 1.3 million acres of crops are destroyed, with Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Gujrat divisions hardest hit. Officials warned the damage could have lasting consequences for Punjab’s farming economy.
Flood Forecasting Division officials confirmed extremely high water levels at Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej, Khanewal and Qadirabad on the Chenab, and Sidhnai on the Ravi. PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said the next 24 hours are critical for Multan, where the convergence of the Ravi and Chenab threatens nearby districts.
