LAHORE:
Residents scrambled to rooftops or treetops for safety, while authorities declared emergencies after bloated rivers breached banks in several districts of south Punjab, inundating hundreds of villages over large swaths, particularly in the Chenab basin, officials said on Monday.
The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers remained in “very high flood” at multiple locations. It added that water would enter the Indus River on the night between Monday and Tuesday.
According to officials, raging rivers breached embankments in Jalalpur Pirwala, inundating dozens of villages and forcing authorities to declare emergencies in Jalalpur and Shujaabad. Later, officials ordered a full evacuation from Jalalpur Pirwala town, fearing the Chenab could burst through protective levees.
They said that a second flood wave in the Chenab swamped more than 300 villages in Jhang district, while major breaches in Muzaffargarh’s Azmatpur forced over 7,000 people to flee their homes. Further downstream, the Sutlej overwhelmed defences near Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar.
A high-level flood in the Sutlej River wrought havoc in Vehari district, as water engulfed more than 185 villages and 90 settlements. According to the Irrigation Department, the breach of an embankment in the Akbar Shah area of Luddan submerged more than 1,500 houses.
The district administration said that more than 75,000 people and thousands of acres of standing crops had been affected by the flood. Elsewhere, Kasur saw 130 villages submerged, impacting more than 100,000 residents. In Chiniot, more than 100 villages lost road access after embankments failed.
According to data released by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), more than 4,000 rescue operations had been carried out so far, in which 2.4 million people were brought to safety. Rescue teams deployed additional boats and drones to monitor the flood situation.
According to the PDMA, the Chenab basin has been the hardest hit, with some 1,578 villages and more than 1.65 million people affected. Authorities said 36 people have died in Chenab-related flooding, while five deaths were reported along the Ravi. Overall, Punjab’s death toll stands at 244 since June.
Nationwide, the NDMA said 922 people have died during this monsoon season, including 12 in the past 24 hours. Seven of those were reported in Multan, where flash floods swept through rural communities, according to provincial authorities.
On Monday, the Chenab flows surpassed 543,000 cusecs at Head Trimmu – one of the highest levels in recent years. The Sutlej discharges reached 319,000 cusecs at Ganda Singh Wala, while the Ravi surged to 139,000 cusecs at Head Balloki.
Officials reported rising water levels at various embankments, adding that inflows and outflows exceeded 600,000 cusecs at Head Punjnad before the floodwaters drain into the Indus River. PDMA chief Irfan Kathia confirmed that the floodwaters were set to enter the Indus River late at night.
Kathia said that because of new inflows from Head Trimmu, Multan would remain at high risk for the next 48 hours. “Water pressure at Head Muhammadwala and Shershah embankments is expected to increase in the next 24 hours,” he added.
Officials in Sindh said that currently the Indus was experiencing low-level floods at the Guddu, Sukkur, and Kotri barrages. Authorities instructed district administrations to remain on alert and to accelerate protective measures against possible threats.
Meanwhile, the National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) of the NDMA issued an urgent weather advisory, warning of heavy rainfall across parts of Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan over the next 12 to 24 hours.
The NEOC warned of urban flooding, overflowing streams, and landslides in hilly areas due to rainfall. It forecast intermittent rainfall in the northeastern and southern districts of Punjab, including Gujranwala, Sialkot, Lahore, Hafizabad, Faisalabad, Chiniot, and Sargodha.
Heavy and thunderous downpours are expected in Multan, Layyah, Khanewal, Vehari, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan, Khanpur, Rajanpur, Liaqatpur, Zahir Pir, Sadiqabad, and Rahim Yar Khan.
In Sindh, southern districts are likely to experience heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds, affecting Thatta, Badin, Tharparkar, Mithi, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Adam, Hyderabad, Karachi, and surrounding areas.
Light, intermittent showers are forecast for upper and central Sindh, including Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Khairpur, Dadu, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Jamshoro, and nearby localities. In Balochistan, Zhob, Loralai, Sibi, Dera Bugti, Sui, Khuzdar, Awaran, Barkhan, and Lasbela are expected to receive intermittent showers with thunderstorms.
(WITH INPUT FROM APP)