Authorities in Punjab have so far evacuated thousands of people from areas along the rivers as Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers faced “exceptionally high” floods after India released water into Pakistan, officials said on Wednesday.
Punjab is facing an unprecedented flood emergency due to a combination of heavy rains and India’s decision to release water from at least two dams. Both countries have been ravaged by intense monsoon rains and flooding in recent weeks.
What we know so far:
- Two headworks at Chenab, one each at Ravi and Sutlej in ‘exceptionally high flood’
- Another point in Chenab in ‘very high’ flood, while 5 headworks on Indus River see ‘low’ flood
- PM orders ministers to visit affected districts
- PDMA warns of high flood in Ravi at Jassar
- Rescue 1122 says over 32,500 people evacuated so far from river areas
- Sialkot breaks 49-year rain record; more showers expected across Punjab
Today, India opened all gates of major dams on rivers in occupied Kashmir following heavy rains, and warned Pakistan of the possibility of downstream flooding, Reuters quoted an Indian government source as saying.
Subsequently, the water ministry issued a flood alert, seen by Dawn.com, for flooding on three rivers — Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab — which flow into the country from India.
At the same time, heavy rains in the upper catchment areas of the Chenab River have swollen downstream flows, placing thousands of citizens at risk. The Punjab government has called in the army in six districts to assist civil authorities in rescue and relief operations.
As of 12pm, Chenab at the Qadirabad and Khanki headworks, Ravi at Jassar, and Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala were in an “exceptionally high flood” condition, according to the data by the Met Office’s Flood Forecasting Division (FFD).
Jassar Headworks had already been declared as facing exceptionally high flood at 2am.
The water outflows at Khanki were recorded at over 1 million cubic feet per second (cusecs) and were “steady”, while the outflows at Qadirabad were over 900,000 cusecs and had a “rising” trend.
The outflows at Jassar and Ganda Singh Wala were over 200,000 cusecs, with “falling” flows in the former and steady in the latter.
Marala Headworks, which had been in “exceptionally high flood” at 2am, was now at “very high” flood level, with declining outflows of around 600,000 cusecs.
Balloki and Shahdara on Ravi, as well as Suleimanki Headworks at Sutlej, faced a medium-level flood. The water outflows in the two Ravi locations were less than 100,000 cusecs, while those at Suleimanki were around 100,000 cusecs.
The headworks of Chashma, Taunsa, Guddu, Sukkur, and Kotri on the Indus River were in “low” flood as of the last update at 12pm. Islam Headworks on the Sutlej River was also in low flood.
At 12:30pm, the spillways of Tarbela Dam were to be opened to release water, according to a post by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The authority expected the water levels to reach 250,000 cusecs as a result and urged the public to avoid going near waterways in adjoining areas of the Indus River, where increased water flows were likely.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said late on Tuesday that India had opened all the gates of its Thein Dam on the Ravi River. The announcement came a day after Pakistan received a second warning from India that it intended to release water from the rapidly filling Madhopur Dam, Reuters reported. Both dams are located on the Ravi River, which flows from Indian Punjab into Pakistan.
In a statement today, the PDMA highlighted that the flood situation had arisen in Punjab as “there was a record increase in river waters due to rains in the northern areas”.
Detailing decisions taken during a meeting chaired by Punjab minister Khawaja Salman Rafiq and Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, the PDMA statement said it was decided not to place breaching sections (part of a flood embankment) at Chenab and Ravi rivers.
Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed, in a statement, said all deputy commissioners and other officers were present on the ground.
“There is no room for mistakes,” he asserted, ordering authorities to ensure the evacuation of residents from flooded areas as soon as possible.
Kartarpur, home to the Sikh religious site of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, was flooded as well.
Army troops, in coordination with local administration, were working to evacuate around 200 to 300 people who were stranded, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.
PM orders ministers to visit areas
In view of the risky situation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued special directives to the federal ministers to visit the affected areas in Punjab and monitor the relief operations, the government said on X.
The premier also ordered NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik to remain in contact with the Punjab PDMA and provide full assistance in evacuating people to safe locations.
“Relief operations should be further accelerated, and coordination between institutions should be intensified. The process of immediately relocating people living along river passages to safe locations should be made more effective and swift,” PM Shehbaz was quoted as saying.
According to a spokesperson for the Punjab Home Department, the army has been requisitioned in Lahore, Faisalabad, Kasur, Sialkot, Narowal and Okara districts to support district administrations in protecting lives and property.
The decision was taken after local administrations formally requested the immediate deployment of troops.
In a post on X, state-run PTV News said the army was carrying out rescue and relief operations in Lahore, Faisalabad, Okara, Kasur, Sialkot and Narowal since last night.
Prominent businessman Jahangir Khan Tareen, who quit politics last year, pledged to donate more than Rs20 million for flood victims in Lodhran.
In a statement, he vowed that “maximum effort will be taken for the rehabilitation of the flood-hit people”. “They will not be left alone,” Tareen asserted, calling for “unity in the face of the natural disaster”.
He directed his team to work in collaboration with Rescue 1122 and the Lodhran district administration and help with relief efforts.
PDMA warns of high flood in Ravi at Jassar
Speaking to the media this morning, Punjab PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia warned that the high flood in Ravi at Jassar was expected to pass through Lahore and Shahdara tonight between 10pm and 12am.
DG Kathia added that the flood was expected to pass through Balloki Headworks at 9am tomorrow.
He highlighted that all relevant institutions, including rescue teams and district administrations, have been alerted as per the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
The PDMA DG said 20,000 to 25,000 people had already been evacuated from the floodplains of Chenab and Ravi.
DG Kathia pointed out that the last time such a huge flow of water was seen was nearly 38 to 39 years ago.
“But now we’re expecting that the water will be between 180,000 and 190,000 cusecs,” he said, adding that since Shahdara has a capacity of 250,000, it is expected to pass safely without major losses.
Over 32,500 people evacuated so far from river areas: Rescue 1122
Meanwhile, over 32,500 people have been evacuated so far from areas alongside various rivers in Punjab, the Rescue 1122 service said as relief and rescue operations continue.
“Around 32,589 people have been evacuated safely from areas along the banks of the Indus, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Jhelum rivers,” Punjab Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmad said in a statement.
“Yesterday, around 5,970 people were evacuated from areas that could potentially face flooding,” Ahmad said.
Giving a district-wise breakdown, Ahmad said 2,275 were evacuated from Kasur, 914 from Okara, 846 from Pakpattan, 785 from Bahawalpur, 323 from Vehari, 270 from Bahawalnagar, 259 from Narowal, 74 from Hafizabad, 27 from Lodhran and 15 from Chiniot.
Rescue teams in the above districts, as well as in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin, had been placed on high alert.
The spokesperson, in a statement, said around 987 people have been rescued from potential flood areas today, including 719 from Nankana Sahib, 124 from Hafizabad, 103 from Narowal, 27 from Gujrat and 14 from Gujranwala.
Asserting that the teams are “working day and night in flood-hit areas”, Ahmad said around 436 boats were engaged in rescue efforts, out of which 74 are in Kasur, 28 in Okara, 20 in Vehari and less than 20 each in Hafizabad, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, and Mandi Bahauddin.
Another 400 rescue boats will be utilised as backup, the Rescue 1122 official added. Nearby districts have also been instructed to help in case of any emergency.
The Edhi Foundation, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, detailed its relief efforts in the flood-hit areas in Kasur, saying that its teams shifted many affected families to safety.
“Relief efforts are underway in Kasur, where the following villages have been flooded: Ganda Singh, Chanda Singh, Bhikki, and Dhonay,” the statement said. It added that medical camps have been set up for the affected families, and urged citizens to reach out to Edhi’s helpline at 115 in case of an emergency.
Silakot District Emergency Officer (DEO) Engineer Naveed Iqbal appealed to residents of low-lying areas near the Tawi and Chenab rivers to immediately relocate to safe places to avoid any untoward situation, APP reported.
More rain expected across Punjab as Sialkot breaks 49-year record
In an update at 11am, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said rain with strong winds and thunderstorms was likely to continue in Narowal, Sialkot, Lahore, Kasur, Jhelum, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujarat, Sheikhupura, Azad Kashmir and surrounding areas in the next one to three hours.
The PMD advised the public to take precautionary measures and stay updated.
In the last 24 hours till 9am, Sialkot witnessed the highest amount of rainfall in the last 49 years, the PMD said.
During the 24-hour period, the city recorded 363.5 millimetres of rain, surpassing 339.7mm it received on Aug 6, 1976, the PMD added.