Nearly 150,000 people have been evacuated so far from flood-prone areas across Punjab as the province braces for heavy rains and floods, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Tuesday.
A devastating monsoon season marked by record rainfall, glacier melt, and widespread flooding has exposed Pakistan’s extreme vulnerability to climate change. The “high flood” warnings this week have put Punjab on high alert and prompted mass evacuations in various places.
“Nearly 150,000 people have so far been relocated to safer areas from flood-prone regions,” state-run APP reported, adding that it followed early warnings and alerts issued by NDMA regarding rising water levels and potential flooding.
The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) initiated “large-scale evacuation operations” in vulnerable places following the swelling of the Sutlej River, the report said.
“Emergency response teams were deployed, and all concerned departments were placed on high alert to safeguard public life and property,” it added.
The data provided by the NDMA showed evacuations included 89,868 residents from Bahawalnagar, 14,140 from Kasur, 2,063 from Okara, 873 from Pakpattan, 361 from Bahawalpur, and 165 from Vehari, according to the APP.
It further said that around 40,000 people had moved to safer locations soon after the initial alerts.
The NDMA directed all institutions and emergency services to remain vigilant, urging citizens to avoid flood-prone areas, unnecessary travel, and follow safety instructions disseminated through alerts, it added.
Separately, a warning of “extremely high flood levels” was issued for the Sutlej River, state media PTV reported, adding that the water level in the river reached 195,000 cusecs.
A day earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz issued orders to evacuate the people living in areas around rivers and low-lying regions, while the Ministry of Climate Change predicted heavy rains in Gujranwala, Gujrat, and Lahore divisions “with a high risk of both riverine and urban flooding”.
An alert by Punjab PDMA on Monday reported “high flood level” in the Sutlej River at 10am, urging district administrations across Punjab to maintain a “high level of preparedness and mitigation of the disaster”.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) also issued a flood warning for the Chenab River and Ravi River yesterday, stating that the intensity of rainfall over the eastern rivers was “likely to increase significantly”.
In light of a flood alert by India, more than 24,000 people had been relocated from the low-lying areas of the Indus, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers since Saturday, according to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmad.