ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE/SUKKUR: Floods as well as heavy downpours continued to batter Punjab on Monday, with Vehari district among the worst hit as the Sutlej River swelled to dangerous levels.
According to the Flood Forecasting Division, water inflows at Head Islam rose to 120,865 cusecs in the evening, categorised as high flood. Officials said 92 villages have been inundated, affecting nearly 77,000 residents, of whom over 73,000 have been evacuated. Standing crops on more than 60,000 acres — including cotton, rice, maize, and sugarcane — have been destroyed.
Seventeen relief camps are currently housing 820 victims, while ration, fodder, and animal feed are being distributed. Veterinary teams have also vaccinated over 60,000 livestock. Authorities warned of pressure on embankments at Kaliya Shah, Sharaf, Hasan Shah, and Mian Hakim but said all protective dykes remain intact.
Adding to the misery, fresh rains lashed Lahore, Vehari, Burewala, and Mailsi, inundating relief camps and open-air settlements. Many families in remote pockets continue to wait for food, shelter, and medical assistance despite ongoing relief efforts.
Also, alarm bells rang on Monday as water levels in the Chenab surged at Head Muhammadwala and Sher Shah, with an estimated 400,000–500,000 cusecs of floodwaters from Trimmu Headworks expected to reach the area on Sept 8–9.
The Chenab at Head Muhammadwala is already flowing between 400,000 and 450,000 cusecs, and experts warn that combined flows from Trimmu and Sidhnai could push levels to 700,000–800,000 cusecs. Irrigation officials cautioned that late breaches at Sher Shah and Head Muhammadwala were “inevitable,” threatening to inundate scores of villages, wash away farmland, and devastate fish and shrimp farms worth billions in Multan and Muzaffargarh. Many farms in Muzaffargarh have already been submerged.
According to the Punjab Disaster Management Authority, 543,579 cusecs of water is flowing from Trimmu, 123,168 cusecs from Sidhnai (Ravi), and 120,598 cusecs from Islam Headworks (Sutlej), all heading towards Multan. Authorities fear immense pressure in the next 24–48 hours as the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej converge at Panjnad Headworks, where an “extra high flood” was recorded at 609,669 cusecs on Monday.
Irrigation engineers also raised concerns about the design of Head Muhammadwala bridge, which slows river flow and creates bottlenecks, warning that the survival of nearby residential and agricultural areas could be at stake if structural issues remain unaddressed.
Official sources said flood devastation dealt a severe blow to shrimp and fish farming along the Muzaffargarh bank of River Chenab, where farmers had invested billions of rupees under a Punjab government scheme. Residents said floodwaters destroyed entire farms just weeks before harvest, wiping out yearlong efforts and causing losses worth thousands of millions.
Commissioner Amir Karim Khan said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif personally monitored the flood situation throughout the night, taking real-time updates and overseeing evacuation efforts in Multan’s worst-hit Jalalpur Pirwala tehsil. Rescue 1122 teams, led by District Emergency Officer Dr Hussain Mian, have been conducting round-the-clock operations in flood-hit areas, rescuing 2,343 people in the past 24 hours alone. So far, 10,810 people have been evacuated from Multan, while the district administration has moved 350,000 residents and over 300,000 animals to safety.
Across Punjab, government officials report that 2 million people and 1.5 million animals have been evacuated in advance. Rescue 1122 continues operations in Multan city and surrounding areas, with over 5,000 people and nearly 1,800 animals shifted to safe locations.
The South Punjab Secretariat activated a Flood Control Room to coordinate relief efforts and launched helplines (9200706-061, 0300-0924010, 0333-6137161) for complaints and assistance.
Also, under the direct supervision of Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz, significant progress had been made in draining floodwater from Gujrat, with large parts of the city now cleared. The CM instructed the government officers and staff to remain in the field until complete drainage was achieved. She noted that a crack in the protective dam at Madina Syedan was hampering the process but said floodwater was being diverted to the Halsi stream with the support of government machinery and local residents. Efforts are also underway to block additional water from entering the city and to fully dry out affected areas.
Meanwhile, the divisional administration launched an emergency evacuation in Jalalpur Pirwala, safely moving over 2,000 people to safer locations. Commissioner Aamir Karim Khan, CPO Sadiq Dogar, and Deputy Commissioner Waseem Hamid personally led the rescue operation.
Army Aviation and PAF helicopters joined relief efforts, air-dropping dry rations to stranded families. On the instructions of CM Maryam Nawaz, additional resources — including 1,000 life jackets, life rings, and 29 rescue boats (17 in Jalalpur Pirwala, 10 in Shujaabad) — were deployed.
Officials said thermal drones are also being used to locate victims, while round-the-clock evacuation continues in flood-hit areas. Meanwhile, four people, including three children, lost their lives as heavy monsoon rains lashed most parts of Sindh, triggering urban flooding and widespread disruption.
In Sukkur’s Rohri area, the roof of a house collapsed, killing three children, while another roof collapse at an Imambarghah claimed the life of a muezzin. Rescue teams recovered the children’s bodies after a two-hour operation. In Badin, a child was injured when a mud house gave way.
Tharparkar received the heaviest rainfall, recording 105mm in 24 hours, while Islamkot saw 65mm. Downpours inundated streets, homes, and even the civil hospital in Mithi and Diplo. Flooding disrupted life in Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Sanghar, Umerkot, and Mirpurkhas, where power outages spread as HESCO shut down supply to rain-hit districts.
Citizens expressed concern over stagnant rainwater, lack of drainage facilities, and the risk of malaria and other waterborne diseases. Municipal staff are struggling to clear floodwater as the Met. Office warned of more rains in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Nawabshah, Larkana, Tharparkar, and Thatta in the coming days.
Separately, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the province was fully prepared to face the looming flood threat, as a super flood of up to 800,000 cusecs is expected to reach Guddu Barrage on Tuesday (today).
Speaking to the media after inspecting the Flood Monitoring Cell, the chief minister said evacuation of vulnerable areas is underway on a village-to-village basis, with most residents cooperating. He expressed confidence that complete evacuations would be achieved within 48 hours.
CM Shah also cautioned of heavy rains in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Tharparkar, Jamshoro, and Dadu, though he noted that less rainfall is expected upstream near Koh Suleman. He added that emergency shelters, health facilities, and cattle camps have been geotagged, while the government continues to monitor the situation closely through field reports and real-time water flow data.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued an urgent weather advisory, warning of heavy rainfall across Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan in the next 12 to 24 hours.
According to the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC), northeastern and southern Punjab—including Gujranwala, Sialkot, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, and Dera Ghazi Khan—may face urban flooding, overflowing streams, and landslides in hilly areas.
In Sindh, strong winds and torrential rains are expected in southern districts such as Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, and Umerkot, while light to moderate showers are forecast in Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Kashmore, and nearby areas.
Balochistan is also likely to receive scattered showers with thunderstorms in Zhob, Loralai, Sibi, Khuzdar, Dera Bugti, Lasbela, and other districts. The NDMA warned of possible landslides, overflowing streams, falling trees, and power outages.
Authorities have urged citizens, particularly travellers, to remain cautious and stay updated on weather conditions.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Monday reiterated his call for the federal government to declare an “agriculture emergency” and provide free seeds and fertilisers to farmers devastated by floods. He also urged the government to waive farmers’ electricity bills until the crisis ends.
Speaking to the media during visits to flood-hit areas of Muzaffargarh and Multan, Bilawal said Punjab had suffered the most damage, with farmers bearing the brunt of the disaster. He stressed that Pakistan must seek both emergency relief and long-term reconstruction support from the United Nations and friendly nations without delay.
Bilawal underlined that disaster management requires three stages — rescue, relief, and rehabilitation — and urged unity instead of political point-scoring. He said the Prime Minister had assured him that victims would be supported through the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), which he called the best mechanism for assistance.
The PPP chairman also called on the government to review its support price policy and launch housing schemes for flood victims in Punjab, similar to projects underway in Sindh and Balochistan after the 2022 floods. He praised the media’s positive role during the crisis and instructed party workers to continue helping flood-affected communities.
