LAHORE/ BAHAWALNAGAR/ CHINIOT (Dunya News) – Rising water levels in Punjab’s rivers have triggered flooding across several districts, cutting off dozens of villages, destroying crops, and forcing residents to evacuate. Authorities have set up flood relief camps and deployed rescue teams.
In Kasur, the Sutlej River overflowed, inundating multiple villages and severing road links. According to PDMA, water discharge at Ganda Singh Wala headworks has reached 75,000 cusecs, with the Sutlej recorded at 19.60 feet at Kikar Post this morning.
Officials fear further water release from India’s Harike Headworks could worsen the situation. Crops and hundreds of acres of farmland have been devastated. Rescue 1122 teams are using boats for evacuations, while flood relief camps provide medical aid, rations, and livestock fodder.
In Zafarwal, Nullah Dek is experiencing high flood levels with 22,000 cusecs of water flowing—just 8,000 cusecs short of maximum capacity. Villages including Lehri Kalan and Dioli have been submerged, with crops and houses damaged. Rescue teams have set up four relief camps and issued flood warnings for nearby settlements.
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In Bahawalnagar, embankments along the Sutlej have collapsed, allowing floodwaters to spread into farmlands. Authorities have imposed Section 144 to prevent public gatherings. Several villages, including Toogera Sharif and Rajeka, face heavy erosion, with rescue teams actively relocating residents.
In Chiniot, the Chenab River is witnessing low-level flooding, carrying over 110,000 cusecs of water. Villages such as Sahmal, Pir Kot Taja Da, and Kharkan have been inundated, submerging crops and settlements. District authorities are moving families to safety, with five relief camps already operational.
Meanwhile, at Kundian, the Indus River has reached medium flood levels, with 450,500 cusecs of inflow at Chashma Barrage and 435,400 cusecs outflow. Flood warnings have been issued for riverbank settlements, and mosque announcements urge residents to move to safer areas.
Heavy rains and flash floods have wreaked havoc across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, leaving at least 399 people dead in a matter of days.
Torrential downpours triggered landslides, road collapses and swelling rivers that swept away bridges, homes and entire villages.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, glacial streams and flash floods battered multiple areas. In Skardu, five bridges collapsed into rivers while in Chilas’s Ouchar stream several people were washed away, killing ten.