Rivers surge triggers mass evacuation

Punjab is grappling with severe flooding as relentless monsoon rains and water releases from India drive the Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers to perilous levels, prompting mass evacuations, emergency funding and the deployment of army units for rescue operations.

The Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed on Wednesday that high to exceptionally high floods were being recorded in major rivers. Water inflows continue to rise, putting low-lying districts at serious risk.

PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia warned that a flow of 150,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) was expected to pass through Shahdara, while Kot Naina on the Ravi was experiencing a flow of 230,000 cusecs. At Jassar, flow of more than 229,000 cusecs was reported.

The government has approved emergency funds for flood-hit districts and ordered immediate evacuations along the Ravi's embankments.

The army, Rangers, Rescue 1122, and police have been mobilised to support evacuations, deliver food and medicine, and patrol vulnerable rural areas.

In Narowal, floodwaters entered the Kartarpur Corridor, while in Shakargarh, a breach in a protective embankment submerged several settlements, forcing mass relocations.

Extremely high flood levels were recorded in the Ravi River at Kot Naina, Jassar and Shahdara, posing significant risks to low-lying neighbourhoods and highways near the locality in Lahore.

In the Sutlej River, flows at Ganda Singh Wala surged between 196,000 and 245,000 cusecs, inundating dozens of villages in Kasur, Pakpattan, and Bahawalnagar. Authorities confirmed that more than 4,000 residents had been evacuated.

The Chenab River was carrying some of the heaviest volumes seen in recent years. At Head Qadirabad, water levels reached 935,000 cusecs, surpassing the barrage's design capacity of 800,000 cusecs.

To protect the structure, engineers deliberately breached protective dykes in Mandi Bahauddin and Ali Pur Chatha. Upstream at Head Marala, flows of nearly 700,000 cusecs were recorded. Flash floods swept through smaller tributaries such as Nullah Dek in Sialkot, destroying bridges and cutting off road access to several towns.

The provincial government announced Rs2.18 billion in emergency relief funds.