• High alert in multiple districts as Sutlej flows in high flood, Chenab and Ravi rivers stable
• GB survivors face shortage of essentials; over 3,000 displaced in Ghizer; Glof-II project probe demanded
LAHORE: A day before the arrival of a fresh monsoon spell, the Punjab government on Saturday evacuated thousands of people along the Sutlej River, as the river surged to a high flood level at Ganda Singh Wala, recording a dangerous flow of 129,866 cusecs.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) initiated evacuations and emergency operations across multiple districts amid a new and intense monsoon spell forecast on August 24-27. According to a hydrological report by the Board of Revenue, the situation at Ganda Singh Wala was critical and expected to persist for the next 48 hours.
In response, district administrations in central and southern Punjab were racing against time to relocate communities living along the riverbanks. Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmad said that over 19,000 people were evacuated from multiple flood-affected areas of the province.
He said a high alert had been issued for the districts of Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, and Vehari. He said that the evacuation and transportation of 19,947 people from areas adjacent to the Indus, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Jhelum rivers had been completed.
“The evacuation of populations settled in the riverbeds of the Sutlej and Ravi is our utmost priority. All resources are being employed for the protection of citizens,” stated Khawaja Salman Rafique, provincial minister and chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Disaster Management, following an emergency meeting at the PDMA headquarters.
‘Mixed picture’
The river situation across Punjab showed a mixed picture as the Indus River at Tarbela and Kalabagh was rising. The Chenab and Ravi river systems were stable and within normal bounds at all major gauges. The hill torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan, though normal at the time, were also being closely monitored.
The epicentre of the crisis remains Sutlej, where authorities were focusing evacuation efforts in areas like Jalalpur Pirwala. “We have begun relocating residents to prevent any potential damage. Their lives and property are our primary concern,” said Multan’s Deputy Commissioner Waseem Hamid Sindhu.
The urgency of these operations is compounded by a fresh weather warning. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has forecast an “eighth spell” of monsoon rains from August 24 to 27, expected to bring torrential rains to the upper regions of Punjab and other parts of the country.
Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabil Javaid said rescue teams had been pre-deployed to sensitive locations and that relief camps were fully operational. “These camps are equipped with all basic facilities, including medicines and vaccines. We are ensuring announcements are made in mosques and at the local level to guide people to safety,” said PDMA DG Irfan Ali Kathia.
The provincial government urged citizens to cooperate fully with rescue agencies, avoid all recreational activities near water bodies, and immediately contact the PDMA helpline 1129 in case of an emergency.
With the new monsoon spell looming, the next 96 hours are critical for Punjab as it takes measures to relocate thousands of people living along the rivers.
GB survivors struggle
Meanwhile, the rain spell is also expected to bring heavy rain and flash floods to Gilgit-Baltistan — a region already reeling from successive floods over the past few weeks. A day earlier, a glacial flood in Talidas village rendered hundreds of people homeless, whereas the roads, including Shandur-Ghizer Road, across the mountainous region remain closed after landslides and floods.
Meanwhile, the survivors in the flood-hit areas faced a shortage of water for drinking and irrigation. Israruddin Israr, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan GB coordinator, said 330 households, comprising over 3,000 individuals, had become internally displaced persons (IDPs) due to the recent glacial lake outburst flood in Talidas village in Ghizer district.
The number of IDPs in this incident is the second-largest since the 2010 Attabad disaster, he noted. GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said residents of Talidas had been shifted to a tent settlement.
The GB chief minister also visited the affected area, Mr Faraq said, adding that the CM announced a cash reward for the shepherd who warned about the flood in time.
The GB government spokesperson said the shepherd will be invited to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat and a ceremony will be held in his honour. He said an alternative village would be established for the Glof-affected residents, and the prime minister would be approached for this initiative. The early warning system was not active in the Ghizer district, he admitted.
Former GB chief minister Hafeezur Rehman, in a statement, said they had reservations about the Glof-II project for early warning systems, installed by the UNDP across GB for Rs10 billion. He alleged these funds were misused and demanded an investigation into the system’s failure.
Jamil Nagri in Gilgit also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2025