ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR:
Heavy monsoon rains pushed river levels across Punjab to dangerous highs, inundating villages, destroying crops, and cutting off ground access in several districts as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday issued an emergency alert following forecasts of a fresh monsoon spell this week.
The NDMA warning came as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) reeled under one of the most catastrophic deluges in recent memory that killed more than 300 people. Given the widespread destruction in the province, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif rushed his ministers to supervise relief efforts in the affected districts.
Pakistan is grappling with one of the deadliest monsoon seasons in recent memory, as relentless downpours, flash floods, and landslides have claimed at least 657 lives and left nearly 1,000 injured since late June, according to the NDMA.
The NDMA’s National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) issued an emergency alert forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall across Punjab, K-P, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and parts of Sindh.
In a media briefing, NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider warned that two to three more monsoon spells are expected before mid-September, with rainfall intensity projected at 5060% above average levels. He attributed the worsening situation to climate change.
K-P is the worst-affected. Widespread devastation has been reported in Buner, Bajaur, Swat, and Shangla. As of Sunday, the death toll from Friday’s cloudbursts, lightning strikes, and flash floods rose to 323, including 209 in Buner district – the epicentre of the disaster.
According to the K-P PDMA, the deceased include 273 men, 29 women, and 21 children, while the injured comprise 123 men, 23 women, and 10 children. The PDMA said a total of 336 houses were damaged so far, with 230 partially destroyed and 106 completely demolished.
Since June 26, the NDMA said, rain-related incidents have taken the lives of 657 people – 171 children and 94 women – while 929 others have been injured. K-P, it added, suffered the worst, with 390 deaths – 288 men, 59 children, and 43 women.
In Punjab, 164 lives have been lost, with children making up the largest share of fatalities. Sindh reported 28 deaths, Balochistan 20 fatalities, Gilgit-Baltistan 32, AJK 15, and the Islamabad Capital Territory 8, according to the NDMA.
The devastation is widespread. “Connectivity with several settlements in Gilgit-Baltistan and K-P has been severed due to flash floods and landslides. Search operations for missing persons are ongoing, and more relief packages will be dispatched tomorrow,” NDMA chairman Haider stated.
The NEOC said that the the rainy system was active over the Pakistan region and might cause heavy to very heavy rainfall during the next 24 hours. Heavy to very heavy rainfall with thunderstorms is also forecast for Islamabad, with intermittent breaks, it added.
Northern and upper K-P districts, including Swat, Buner, Shangla, Dir, Mansehra, Battagram, Abbottabad, and Malakand, are expected to receive heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours, with potential flash floods and landslides in hilly areas, according to the NEOC.
Widespread rain is expected in Potohar and north-eastern districts including Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Narowal, Hafizabad, and Mandi Bahauddin. Central and southern districts – Multan, Rajanpur, Layyah, Bhakkar and Sahiwal – would see scattered thunderstorms.
Scattered thunderstorms are forecast for Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, and Swabi. Southern districts including Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Karak, and Kohat might experience scattered rain and thunderstorms, with occasional heavy falls.
Similarly, AJK districts including Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh, Haveli, Kotli, Mirpur, and Bhimber, and Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, Ghizer, Diamer, Astore, Ghanche, and Shigar districts of Gilgit-Baltistan, are likely to receive heavy rainfall, which could trigger landslides and flash flooding, especially in mountainous terrain.
The coastal districts of Sindh – Karachi, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, and Tharparkar – may see intermittent showers or thunderstorms. Central and upper Sindh – Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Dadu, Khairpur, Sukkur, Ghotki, Larkana, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, and Kashmore – are likely to receive moderate to heavy rainfall.
In Balochistan, districts including Lasbela, Khuzdar, Awaran, Kalat, Gwadar, Turbat, and Panjgur are expected to receive scattered rainfall, while northern and central districts including Quetta, Ziarat, Zhob, Loralai, Barkhan, Musa Khel, Dera Bugti, and Kohlu may see light showers.
The NDMA urged citizens to avoid non-essential travel and remain alert to changing weather conditions. “People are advised to park vehicles in safe areas, away from trees, signboards, and weak structures, and to avoid movement near rivers, streams, and landslide-prone zones,” the alert stated.
“Crossing submerged roads, bridges, or fast-flowing water channels is strongly discouraged. Institutions must take precautionary measures, ensure machinery and pumps are ready for drainage in low-lying areas, and respond swiftly to any emerging threats.”
Relief Efforts
Meanwhile, relief efforts in K-P’s affected areas continued. On the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, additional relief goods were being dispatched to the flood-affected areas. On his directives, federal ministers will participate in relief operations.
The Prime Minister’s Office stated in a handout that Kashmir and G-B Affairs Minister Amir Muqam would oversee the distribution of relief goods in Shangla and Buner districts with assistance from the power minister.
Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yousaf will oversee operations in Mansehra, while Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Mubarak Zeb will supervise aid distribution in Bajaur, according to the handout.
The prime minister is personally overseeing NDMA’s relief operations in all flood-affected districts of K-P. “We stand with the flood victims in this hour of difficulty,” the handout quoted the prime minister as saying.
The K-P PDMA said on Sunday it dispatched 89 truckloads of relief goods, including over 2,800 tents, 3,800 blankets, 1,750 solar lamps, and Rs800 million in financial assistance to the affected areas.
K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur visited Swat. He assured the flood victims that the government would rebuild their destroyed houses and relocate families from the riverbeds to newly-developed settlements.
Meanwhile, the Punjab PDMA said the province was currently experiencing the seventh spell of monsoon rains, which would continue until August 23. The officials cautioned that cloudbursts remained a possibility in Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Jhelum, Chakwal, and Attock.
Over the past 24 hours, heavy rainfall was recorded in several parts of Punjab. Islamabad received up to 76 millimetres at Golra and 75 millimetres at Saidpur, while Rawalpindi recorded 53 millimetres at Chaklala. Jhelum, Sialkot, Mangla, and Mandi Bahauddin also reported significant rainfall.
Because of the rain, the Sutlej River has risen sharply in Kasur district, submerging dozens of villages and vast tracts of farmland. PDMA officials reported water discharge at the Ganda Singh Wala headworks reached 75,000 cusecs.
The surge destroyed standing crops, damaged hundreds of acres of agricultural land, and displaced scores of families. Authorities warned that additional water releases from India’s Harike Headworks could intensify flooding, further endangering communities downstream.
In Bahawalnagar, breaches in protective embankments have allowed floodwaters to spread into villages, prompting the district administration to impose Section 144 to restrict civilian movement along riverbanks.
In Narowal’s Zafarwal tehsil, the Dek Nullah swelled with more than 22,000 cusecs of water, flooding nearby villages and damaging homes. Rescue teams deployed boats to move stranded residents, while flood relief camps provided necessary assistance, officials said.
The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) reported that the Indus River was in medium flood at Kalabagh, Chashma, and Taunsa, while Tarbela Dam stands at 98% capacity. Mangla Dam is at 1,211 feet, just 30 feet below its maximum storage level.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif ordered all administrations and rescue agencies to remain on high alert, especially in Murree, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, and Koh-e-Sulaiman valleys. A ban has been imposed on tourist travel to Murree amid fears of cloudbursts and landslides.
