Punjab is facing worst floods in decades after India has released over 200,000 cusecs of water into the Ravi River, triggering widespread flooding in nearby areas, while floodwaters in Sheikhupura’s Sharaqpur region have reached dangerously close to residential settlements.
Punjab government in order to protect Qadirabad headworks, authorities carried out controlled blasts on two protective embankments of the Chenab River to divert pressure.
The relentless monsoon rains have left the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers swelling beyond safe levels, prompting Punjab to seek military assistance.
At Head Khanki, water flow has surged past 1 million cusecs, exceeding the structure’s design capacity of 800,000 cusecs, raising fears of damage to its hydraulic system.
The Flood Forecasting Division reported that both Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej and Jassar on the Ravi are facing exceptionally high floods — with the Ravi experiencing its worst flooding in 32 years, affecting an additional 45,000 people, though no casualties have been reported so far.
In Sialkot’s Sambrial area, at least 50 villages have been submerged. Seven people, including two children, were swept away, while four bodies have been recovered. Over 100 trapped residents were rescued by emergency teams.
In Gujranwala, a controlled explosion was carried out near Qadirabad headworks to release flood pressure, as flows there climbed to 1.077 million cusecs, again far beyond its designed 800,000 cusec capacity.
Floodwaters in Punjab are now heading towards Jhang, with authorities warning of “extremely high flood levels” expected by late tonight or early tomorrow. Relief camps have been set up at 18 locations, and boats have been deployed across low-lying areas.
In Narowal, 50 people including women and children stranded in Shakargarh were rescued, while local MPA Ahmed Iqbal Lahri was also evacuated after being trapped.
Several districts including Lahore, Hafizabad, Sargodha, Kasur, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Narowal, and Okara have called in the Pakistan Army for rescue and relief operations. Troops are evacuating residents via boats, establishing aid camps, and relocating families along with their livestock to safer areas.
Meanwhile, rising waters have submerged the holy Sikh shrine of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, along with surrounding villages and farmland, damaging crops of rice, maize, and vegetables.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed federal ministers to personally monitor relief work in affected areas and ordered all institutions to remain on high alert, urging speedier evacuations and tighter coordination.
Authorities have dismissed rumors that Lahore city is at risk of being submerged, but warned that Shahdara and low-lying suburbs remain vulnerable as a massive wave of water is expected to pass tonight, reaching nearly 8 million cusec feet at Shahdara