Sikh religious sites at risk in Pakistan, India as Ravi River overflows
LAHORE:
Floodwaters from the Ravi River surged into Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur on Wednesday, submerging its courtyard and halting pilgrimage at one of Sikhism’s holiest sites.
Visuals from the field showed the shrine’s marble steps and courtyard completely inundated, as floodwater swept into the complex overnight. Around 200 to 300 pilgrims were stranded in Kartarpur Corridor, with the armed forces called in to carry out rescue operations.
Officials from the Evacuee Trust Property Board confirmed that floodwater had seeped into the compound, reaching nearly three feet in some areas and forcing pilgrimages to a sudden halt.
The Punjab government had placed disaster management agencies on high alert on Tuesday, warning of “exceptionally high” inundation risks as relentless monsoon rains, glacial melt, and the release of water from Indian dams combined to swell Pakistan’s rivers.
Nearly 190,000 people have since been evacuated from inundated villages, with the military and rescue agencies scrambling to protect communities along the Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej.
Read: Punjab holds its breath as rivers surge
But the threat is not confined to Pakistan. Across the border in India’s Gurdaspur district of Punjab, the historic town of Dera Baba Nanak — home to another sacred Sikh shrine — is in reportedly precarious conditions, with rising river levels fueled by continuous heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas, particularly Himachal Pradesh and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The town holds immense religious importance. It is located directly opposite Kartarpur and linked to Pakistan by the landmark visa-free Kartarpur Corridor. Since 2019, the corridor allows thousands of Indian pilgrims to visit the shrine in Narowal, where Baba Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spent his final days.
For now, the central structure at Kartarpur remains safe as its elevated platform has spared it from immediate damage.
River levels remain high
Water levels in Pakistan’s major rivers and reservoirs remain critically high, with inflows surpassing 1.2 million cusecs, while floodwaters continue to move downstream into Punjab.
Authorities reported both large-scale evacuations and extensive rescue efforts as concerns mounted over the safety of communities along the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers.
According to the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), the Indus River at Tarbela recorded an inflow of 240,000 cusecs and outflow of 245,400 cusecs.
At Mangla on the Jhelum, inflow was 34,000 cusecs and outflow 8,000 cusecs. Chashma saw inflows of 326,600 cusecs and outflows of 329,000 cusecs, while at Head Marala on the Chenab, inflows reached 107,500 cusecs against 89,500 cusecs outflow.