Pakistan is grappling with one of the most severe monsoon flood crises in recent years, as torrential rains have caused major rivers including the Indus and Sutlej to swell dangerously, pushing dams like Tarbela to 99% capacity and Mangla to 76%. Floodwaters have submerged vast tracts of farmland, destroyed crops, and displaced thousands across the country.
Accordign to the Flood Forecasting Division,Tarbela Dam has reached 99 percent of its capacity at 1,549.20 feet, while Mangla Dam is 76 percent full at 1,219.40 feet.
High flood conditions were recorded at Guddu Barrage on the Indus River, where inflows reached more than 543,000 cusecs as of Sunday.
Punjab government on Saturday evacuated thousands of people along the Sutlej River, as the river surged to a high flood level at Ganda Singh Wala, recording a dangerous flow of 129,866 cusecs.
In response to the rising flood threat, district administrations in central and southern Punjab have been swiftly working to relocate communities residing along the riverbanks.
According to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmad, more than 19,000 people have been evacuated from various flood-affected parts of the province.
He added that high alert has been declared for the districts of Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, and Vehari. The evacuation and transportation of 19,947 individuals from areas adjoining the Indus, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Jhelum rivers have been successfully completed.
The floods have destroyed or damaged over 2,400 homes and injured nearly 1,000 people, with more than 700 fatalities reported nationwide since the start of the monsoon season in late June. The hardest-hit areas include Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where over 350 deaths have occurred, Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab, and urban centers such as Karachi and Lahore.
Flash floods and landslides have cut off dozens of villages, especially in regions like Buner district in KP, where a recent devastating cloudburst claimed 22 lives from a single family and destroyed over 2,000 homes.
Urban flooding in Karachi caused at least 10 deaths, with the city’s ageing drainage infrastructure overwhelmed by the intense rainfall. Schools remain closed in several areas, and power outages have compounded the crisis. Authorities declared a state of emergency in nine districts, with ongoing rescue and relief operations involving army units and local agencies.
Climate experts point to increasingly erratic monsoon patterns, melting glaciers, deforestation, and rapid urbanization without adequate infrastructure as major factors worsening the flood situation.
The National Disaster Management Authority has issued weather alerts warning of continued heavy rainfall and flash floods until the end of August, emphasizing urgent needs for shelter, medical aid, food, and clean water for affected populations.
Pakistan faces a prolonged crisis as floodwaters continue to rise, with experts warning that the monsoon season may extend into mid-September, potentially exacerbating the devastation and challenging relief efforts nationwide.