ISLAMABAD: Nearly 150,000 people have been evacuated from vulnerable areas as Pakistan braces for severe flooding in the Sutlej and Ravi rivers, triggered by heavy monsoon rains and India’s release of dam water. Authorities have warned of an “exceptionally high” flood risk in Punjab, including Lahore, within the next 48 hours deemed critical. “The flood situation is grave,” said PDMA’s Irfan Ali Kathia.
The PDMA warned that Punjab, including Lahore, faced a “very high to exceptionally high” flood threat due to both heavy rains and India’s dam discharges. The development followed after India opened all gates of the Thein Dam on the Ravi.
Authorities have since warned of potential flooding in adjoining districts as both rivers continue to swell. Acting on early warnings, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) launched evacuation operations in vulnerable areas, moving tens of thousands of residents from Bahawalnagar, Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalpur and Vehari. Hundreds of villages located along the embankments of the two rivers have already been evacuated.
The NDMA stated that about 40,000 people had moved of their own accord after the initial advisories. Emergency response teams have been deployed and all relevant departments placed on high alert to protect lives and property. Citizens have been urged to stay away from rivers, streams, and low-lying areas, avoid unnecessary travel and strictly follow safety instructions circulated via television, radio, mobile alerts and the Pak NDMA Disaster Alert app.
According to the NDMA, the flood situation in major rivers remains critical. The Sutlej has reached a very high flood stage at certain locations, while other areas are experiencing high to medium-level flooding. The Ravi continues to rise, with medium flooding at some points and lower levels at others. Its tributaries, including the Basantar, Bein and Deg, are also experiencing low to medium floods. The Indus River is facing medium flooding at Sukkur and low flooding at Kalabagh, Chashma, Guddu, and Kotri barrages. The Chenab River is in a low flood stage at Head Marala, while its tributaries are also at low levels. Reservoirs are filling up, with Tarbela Dam nearly full and Mangla Dam approaching capacity. Khanpur, Rawal, and Simly Dams are also recording rising levels.
Authorities in Punjab have directed deputy commissioners and commissioners in Lahore, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan to remain on alert. Announcements through mosques are urging residents to move to safer locations, while relief camps and fodder supplies have been arranged for displaced families and their livestock.
The latest alerts come after two formal contacts by New Delhi this week to inform Islamabad about planned water discharges. India’s Madhopur Headworks has already increased inflows into the Ravi, while the water released into the Sutlej has inundated parts of southern Punjab. An Indian government source confirmed that while no specific dam was mentioned, a second warning was issued through diplomatic channels. The Sutlej River overflowed due to a breach in the Vala Dam, inundating nearby crops and villages. At Head Ganda Singh Wala, the rising water level has raised concerns of serious loss of life and property. Sialkot recorded 335mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours—its highest in 64 years, surpassing the previous record of 299.2mm set on July 31, 1961.
The NDMA advisory added that heavy rainfall forecast across Indian states, including Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, could further increase flows in rivers and streams heading towards Pakistan. The National Emergency Operations Centre is monitoring the situation round the clock. Diplomatic sources confirmed that India’s High Commission in Islamabad had communicated the alerts to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on humanitarian grounds, rather than through the Indus Waters Commission as required by the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
The NDMA has also issued a heavy rain alert for Punjab, warning of rainfall in the next 12 to 24 hours in Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Kasur, Jhelum, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Nankana Sahib, Chunian, and Pakpattan. The rains may cause flooding in urban low-lying areas and in rivers and canals across the region.
Lahore is at risk of flooding, with 23,000 cusecs of water entering the Ravi near the city, raising water levels continuously. The Deputy Commissioner of Lahore has warned of a possible very high flood level in the next 48 hours. The Flood Forecasting Division has issued warnings for Jasr, Shahdara, and Baloki.
The Sutlej River continued to rise after another release of water by India, inundating multiple villages in Tehsil Burewala. Irrigation officials reported an inflow of 48,564 cusecs at Head Islam, with an outflow of 46,564 cusecs, and a surge of 65,000 cusecs in the area. Villages including Gahi Shah, Jamlera, Rakh Jamlera, Saldera Hathar, Old Saldera, and Sahoka have been hit, destroying crops on over 15,000 acres. Rescue teams evacuated nearly 5,000 people. Authorities have relocated 1,136 cattle to safety.
In District Jhang, rising water in the Chenab River has triggered serious riverbank erosion, forcing poor families to migrate and await housing and financial assistance. Floodwaters have isolated communities, cut access to urban centres and wiped out crops. Tehsils of Jhang, Shorkot, Athara Hazari, and Ahmedpur Sial are under constant monitoring.
Meanwhile, the NDMA has warned the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that Pakistan faces an impending climate catastrophe, grappling with simultaneous threats of floods and droughts due to glacial melt driven by global warming.
At a PAC meeting chaired by Junaid Akbar, NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik warned that climate shocks in Pakistan could intensify by 22% in the coming year due to rapid glacial melt, threatening water security and food supplies—especially in Chitral and Skardu. He noted the country has already faced seven monsoon systems this season, with an eighth expected from Sept 2-11, resulting in 800 deaths and 1,100 injuries. Malik stressed that even moderate rainfall can trigger national crises, urging climate change to be treated as a security threat. He recommended a 2-3 week ban on monsoon tourism and highlighted Pakistan’s new China-modelled disaster forecasting system. He also warned that unchecked population growth could make Pakistan the third most populous country by 2050.At the PAC meeting, Junaid Akbar criticised the absence of a preventive disaster plan, questioning the reliance on tents and flour for flood victims. NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik said warnings and evacuations had been issued in districts like Buner.
The committee learned that of the $10.98bn pledged after the 2022 floods, only $21m came as grants, with most support arriving as loans—exposing weaknesses in Pakistan’s case to donors. Members also questioned the NDMA’s overlapping role with the Met Office. The NDMA replied it uses data from 370 global satellites. Concerns were also raised over alleged diversion of early warning funds to BISP and the use of Pakistan’s new satellite for disaster monitoring.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the NDMA to expedite rescue operations in Sutlej-affected areas. He instructed the NDMA chairman to ensure immediate evacuations, intensify monitoring at Ganda Singh Wala and provide food, medicines, and tents to those affected. He also called for close coordination with Punjab authorities.
Geo News reported quoting Gujranwala division commissioner as saying the Punjab government has called in the army to help the administration in relief and rescue operations, especially in Silkaot and Narowal.
