LAHORE:
Punjab and Sindh remained on high alert on Sunday amid forecast of fresh monsoon rains across the country, stoking fears of further deepening of the ongoing flood crisis that forced closure of a critical section of Motorway and sent a dangerous surge of water in the Indus River.
Authorities warned the situation could deteriorate further with another spell of heavy rainfall expected in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) this week. The authorities in Peshawar issued an advisory for heavy rains, thunderstorms and strong winds from September 16 to 19.
The forecast of the 11th spell of monsoon rain came as floods ravaged large parts of southern Punjab. The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said the Jalalpur Pirwala section of the M-5 Motorway was closed due to erosion caused by floodwaters.
Sandbags are being deployed to protect embankments, while police have diverted traffic through alternative routes. North-bound traffic is being rerouted via Uch Sharif, Jhangra and Jalalpur interchanges, and southbound vehicles through Shah Shams, Sher Shah and Shujabad South.
Hundreds of villages in Shujaabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Ahmedpur East, Rajanpur and Vehari remained inundated. In Multan district, dozens of settlements around Head Muhammadwala and Shershah are under water.
In Chachran, hundreds of homes have collapsed into the river, thousands of acres of crops destroyed, and vital road links washed away. According to PDMA figures, flooding has impacted more than 4,700 villages across Punjab’s three major river systems.
They incuded 2,475 villages along the Chenab, 1,458 along the Ravi and 715 along the Sutlej. Relief efforts include 372 relief camps, 459 medical camps, and 391 veterinary centres for displaced livestock, with over 2 million animals moved to safety.
PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia confirmed that water levels in Punjab’s rivers have begun to recede, with flows at Panjnad Barrage dropping to around 392,000 cusecs. However, at Guddu Barrage in Sindh, discharges remain dangerously high, recorded at over 627,000 cusecs.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that between June 26 and September 14, monsoon rains and floods killed 985 people and injured 1,062. Thirteen fatalities were recorded in the past 24 hours, including four in Punjab and nine in Sindh.
Punjab’s Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed said 104 people have died in the province during the latest wave, while nearly 4.6 million residents have been affected. About 2.5 million people have been relocated to safer locations.
In Sindh, authorities are grappling with the Indus River’s dangerous rise. The inflow at Guddu Barrage was recorded at 627,000 cusecs, with outflows of 582,942 cusecs. All riverine (katcha) areas of Kandhkot have been submerged, and thousands of acres of standing crops destroyed.
The Pakistan Navy emergency response teams, equipped with hovercraft, rescue boats and diving squads, are conducting relief operations in Kashmore, Ghotki, Sukkur and Shikarpur, officials said.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, visiting Sukkur Barrage on Sunday, said around 650,000 to 700,000 cusecs of water was expected to flow through the barrage. “We had anticipated this flow and made preparations accordingly,” he said
He praised officials for overseeing flood management efforts. Shah said the government’s priorities were saving lives, protecting barrages and safeguarding embankments. He welcomed the federal government’s declaration of an agricultural and environmental emergency, promising that Sindh would devise an implementation plan.
Meanwhile, K-P PDMA issued an advisory for heavy rains, thunderstorms and strong winds from September 16 to 19 in upper districts, including Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Buner, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi and Mardan.
Authorities warned of flash floods, landslides in hilly areas, and damage to weak structures, electricity poles, signboards and solar panels. District administrations have been directed to keep emergency teams on alert and maintain drainage systems.
Officials stressed that with more rains forecast and reservoirs near capacity – Mangla Dam at 93%, Tarbela full, and major Indian dams including Bhakra, Pong and Thein close to maximum levels – the coming days will be critical.
Authorities urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel near rivers and mountains. Residents in vulnerable areas have been asked to move to higher ground or official relief camps. The PDMA’s emergency helpline 1129 remains active round the clock, the PDMA said.
(WITH INPUTS FROM OUT PESHAWAR, KARACHI CORRESPONDENT)
