• Ravi at Sidhnai in exceptionally high flood at 1am with 173,000 cusecs flow
• Explosives used at Mai Safura dyke to protect irrigation structures
• Multan faces flood threat; 100 villages at risk near Muhammad Wala
• Chenab floods devastate homes, crops in Jhang; locals allege favouritism
• PM reviews flood response from Beijing
• PMD forecasts more rains
LAHORE: The authorities started breaching dykes as the raging Chenab and Ravi rivers threaten to unleash an unprecedented deluge[1] towards the densely populated cities of south Punjab as the water levels reach critical gauges[2] near the headworks of Sidhnai and Muhammad Wala.
In a statement released after midnight on Wednesday, the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said the Ravi River at Head Sidhnai had entered an extremely high flood stage.
To avert a major disaster, controlled breaches were carried out at the Mai Safura dyke near Head Sidhnai. PDMA officials confirmed that two cuts were made using explosives to release pressure on the embankment.
PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said the breaches were executed under emergency circumstances to protect vital irrigation structures. He stressed that the decision was unavoidable, as rising floodwaters posed a severe threat to the safety of the embankment and surrounding infrastructure.
The breaches came as the Punjab government took emergency measures, including placing explosives at three strategic locations to conduct controlled breaches and prevent catastrophic urban flooding.
The convergence of the Ravi with the Chenab at Ahmadpur Sial is expected to significantly raise water levels in the Chenab, amplifying flood threats for the districts of Khanewal, Multan and Muzaffargarh. Authorities installed dynamite upstream of Sidhnai Headworks, at Head Muhammad Wala, and near Sher Shah to protect critical infrastructure.
The Sidhnai breach will affect Pirmahal, Khanewal, Kot Diwan, Kund Sargana, Kund Malkani, Kabirwala Maqsoodpur and Behrampur.
The breach before Head Muhammad Wala will submerge more than 100 villages and mouzas of the district Multan, including Muhammad Pur Ghota, Sorij Miani, Qasim Bela, Muzaffarabad and mouza Wolwat.
While the breach at Sher Shah will submerge mouza Jungle Wala, Gadar Kachumer, mouza Buch, Sehri Wala, Sultanpur Hamar, mouza Jamoor, Khanpur Qazi and others.
High flood in River Tawi
Earlier, the PDMA chief said that high flooding might occur in the Tawi River. Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Mr Kathia said: “An alert was issued by the Indian High Commission and a high flood may occur in the River Tawi.”
The Chenab River’s flow has increased by 60,000 cusecs in one hour, he added. Heavy rains were lashing India-held Jammu’s Tawi, and heavy showers were also happening in northern Punjab, he said, adding that the water flow would increase.
Water flow
According to the Flood Forecasting Division’s data released at 1am on Wednesday, the Chenab River at Marala Headworks was in high flood and flowing at 237,678 cusecs, with a rising trend.
Head Khanki was in medium flood and was flowing at 166,529 cusecs (rising trend), while Qadirabad was in low flood and was flowing at 128,078 cusecs (steady). Head Trimmu was also in high flood at 385,911 cusecs, but the flow was falling.
On the Ravi River, Head Sidhnai was in exceptionally high flood with a flow of 173,734 cusecs and rising. Upstream, Balloki was in high flood at 125,930 (steady), Shahdara in low flood at 49,280 (steady), and Jassar also in low flood at 63,720 (rising).
On the Sutlej River, Head Ganda Singh Wala was in exceptionally high flood at 269,501 cusecs (steady), Head Sulemanki was in high flood at 124,913 cusecs (steady) while Head Islam was in medium flood at 95,727 cusecs (steady).
At Panjnad, where five rivers — the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab — converge, the water flow was 169,207 cusecs (steady) and fell into the category of low flood.
Multan under threat
Multan Commissioner Amir Kareem Khan said the city is still under the threat of flood, and explosives were installed to breach the Head Muhammad Wala protective dyke if it attained the maximum gauge level of 417.
He said that a committee of experts would decide whether to conduct a controlled breach in any dyke after reviewing three major factors: whether the water level is reaching a critical gauge, whether the water is creating a threat to infrastructure (such as the Head Muhammad Wala Bridge), and whether the rising water will damage the protective dyke.
Mr Khan said that the water flow from Trimmu Barrage was slow and the water level reached the critical gauge at Jhok Vaince, from where the Multan district starts.
The rescue operation in the district was complete, and the water level did not reach the critical gauge at Head Muhammad Wala yet and was flowing at 409 feet from sea level, he added.
Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said that around one million people and over 700,000 livestock had been relocated to safer areas. In total, 3,243 villages and a population of more than 2.4m had been affected by the floods,” she said.
“The government has set up 395 relief camps, providing shelter and food to affected families, along with 392 medical camps and 336 veterinary camps to ensure the protection of both human and animal lives.”
Homes, crops damaged in Jhang
Floodwaters from the Chenab have devastated crops and homes across Jhang district, particularly in Chund Bharwana, Daduana Kuhna and Ahmadpur Sial, where rice and sugarcane fields and mud houses were destroyed.
While a breach near Rivaz Bridge helped divert water and protect some areas, locals said no government relief reached them, with aid instead coming from nearby philanthropists.
In Ahmadpur Sial, residents accused the authorities of creating a breach on the wrong side of the Sultan Bahoo Bridge to protect influential landowners’ crops, which they said worsened the destruction in Garh Maharaja.
However, district officials rejected allegations of favouritism, insisting the breach decision was made after consultation.
More rains forecast
The Pakistan Meteorological Department predicted scattered thunderstorms and isolated showers over the next 24 hours in river catchments and divisions, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sahiwal, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur.
The Pakistan Commission of Indus Waters reported a high flood in the Tawi River, warning that it would impact downstream districts via the Chenab, including Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot and Narowal.
The Flood Forecasting Division has also cautioned that the Chenab at Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad is likely to reach high flood levels within 24 hours, with associated tributaries and nullahs expected to swell across multiple divisions and districts.
PM reviews flood response
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level review meeting on the country’s flood situation and rescue and relief efforts from Beijing, where he is on an official visit.
The premier briefly set aside his engagements to receive a detailed briefing from the chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), chief secretaries of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and other relevant departments.
The NDMA reported close coordination with provincial governments and disaster management authorities to monitor river flows at Trimmu, Balloki, Sidhnai, Ganda Singh Wala and Sulemanki, while flood peaks were expected at Panjnad before moving downstream to Guddu Barrage in Sindh by Sept 6.
PM Shehbaz directed the National Highway Authority and the Ministry of Energy to prioritise restoration of damaged communication routes and electricity transmission systems. He stressed that federal and provincial governments must work in full coordination to ensure the timely evacuation of families, distribution of relief goods, and rehabilitation of affected infrastructure.
Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2025
References
- ^ deluge (www.dawn.com)
- ^ critical gauges (www.dawn.com)