• Another spell of rains expected in most parts of the country from today
• India may release over 150,000 cusecs of water into Punjab rivers within 48 hours
• PDMA warns of potential flooding in some regions
• Survey of flood damage in 69 tehsils likely to be complete by 27th
LAHORE: The Punjab government on Saturday approved financial assistance of Rs20,000 per acre for compensation of crop losses[1], with the provincial disaster management authority (PDMA) warning of potential flooding in some regions amid rain forecast for many districts and expected release of over 150,000 cusecs from India into the Chenab, Sutlej and Ravi rivers within a day or two.
While chairing a meeting in Multan to review the condition of cotton, rice, sugarcane and other standing crops, Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said about 2,000 teams were conducting surveys of flood-related damages, though Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had already approved financial assistance of Rs20,000 per acre to compensate for crop losses.
He said a comprehensive action plan had also been prepared to achieve wheat sowing target, noting that measures aimed at boosting cotton production had yielded encouraging results. So far, he said, 2.65 million bales equivalent of seed cotton (phutti) were picked this year as compared to 1.846m bales obtained during the same period last year according to Crop Reporting Service statistics.
Earlier, the National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued an alert for rains in Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan over the next 12 to 24 hours, specifically in the upper catchment areas of Jhelum, Ravi and Sutlej rivers.
On the other hand, PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia told a presser[2] that the country was bracing for a shift in the weather, with rains expected over the next few days which may worsen the flood situation in Punjab.
Light to heavy rains are expected in various districts of Punjab from Rawalpindi to Lahore over the weekend, followed by showers on Monday in south Punjab. In the upper regions of Punjab, up to 100mm of rainfall was expected, he added.
Rising level of river waters
At Head Marala, Mr Kathia said, the Chenab River is carrying 20,000 cusecs, with an additional 100,000 cusecs expected from India in the next 48 hours. Marala’s current outflow is 23,000 cusecs. Considering that 900,000 cusecs water passed through Head Marala on Aug 26, he said it was not as big a challenge.
Besides, the Sutlej River may receive 50,000 cusecs from India, and 35,000 cusecs of water are expected to enter the Ravi River from the Thein Dam, he said.
On the other hand, Mangla Dam reported high water levels, though Jhelum may not face a massive flood situation.
Survey in 27 districts
The PDMA DG said a survey for flood damage assessment was underway in 27 districts of Punjab, with as many as 11,000 people being engaged in the exercise. A joint survey team includes officers from the Pakistan Army, district administration, and various other departments, he said, adding that a total of 2,213 teams were in the field.
With real-time monitoring through an online dashboard, survey is being conducted by the joint teams in 27 districts, he said. The exercise would be completed in 69 tehsils by Oct 27, he added.
Mr Kathia said the Bank of Punjab would establish counters in each tehsil to ensure provision of maximum facilities to flood victims. He said that flood survivors could receive Rs50,000 immediately after receiving cards.
Complaint resolution
For complaints related to the survey, he said, the PDMA in collaboration with Punjab’s IT Board had formed a platform, which would resolve complaints within seven days.
The DG recalled that there were over 350,000 flood victims in 2010, 38,196 in 2012, 359,000 in 2014 while a total of Rs14 billion was distributed among them.
Again in 2022, he said, 56,000 people affected by floods were provided a sum of Rs10 billion compensation.
He said that over the past 15 years, Rs51 billion was distributed among flood victims but the damage from the current flood was bigger than all previous floods.
Weather advisory
Meanwhile, NEOC issued the weather alert, warning that rains have been forecast for Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Islamabad, Punjab and southern part of Sindh, with the possibility of landslides in mountainous areas.
In Punjab, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mianwali, Hafizabad, Sargodha, and Khushab may receive showers, while in Sindh, rain is likely in Karachi, Jamshoro, Thatta, Badin, Sujawal, Tharparkar, and Umerkot.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, intermittent rains are expected in Chitral, Dir, Haripur, Kohat, Kohistan, Khyber, Kurram, and Mansehra. Thunderstorms with rain are also likely in Peshawar, Nowshera, Malakand, Charsadda, Swabi, Hazara, Abbottabad, Mohmand, Bannu, Buner, Waziristan, and adjoining areas.
The NDMA said the NEOC was actively coordinating with relevant departments to ensure timely updates and effective emergency response. It urged people to avoid unnecessary travel in mountainous areas due to landslide risks, stay informed via radio, TV, and the Pak NDMA Disaster Alert app, and follow instructions of local authorities.
Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2025
References
- ^ crop losses (www.dawn.com)
- ^ presser (www.dawn.com)