New housing societies in Shahdara inundated

Residents of settlements along Ravi lose belongings

LAHORE:

The recent flooding in the Ravi River has inundated several new housing societies on the Shahdara suburbs of Lahore, leaving residents stranded and causing damage.

Up to four feet deep water surged into homes in some places, forcing families to evacuate to safe locations. Electricity and other utilities were also disrupted.

Shahdara, located along the Ravi River, has seen rapid development in recent years, with numerous private housing schemes built on lowlying land. These settlements could not withstand the swelling river flow.

Locals reported substantial losses as water damaged household belongings, while small bridges and connecting roads were also washed away. Farukhabad, Shafiqabad, Mureedwala and Badami Bagh were among the worst hit localities, with water flowing into streets and houses. Schools in the area have been converted into relief camps.

The government has declared housing schemes built on the riverbed illegal and announced that action will be taken against those who issued no-objection certificates (NOCs) for such projects.

In Narowal and nearby villages along the Ravi, nearly 11,000 people and over 4,500 livestock were evacuated. Inundation of fields and grazing land left farmers vulnerable.

Experts say unchecked housing development along the banks has blocked the river's natural flow, amplifying the scale of the flooding.

Local authorities said rescue and relief operations were under way and full assessment of the damage would be possible once the water recedes. Villages near Narang Mandi were also submerged, leaving roads and railway tracks damaged.

A breach near Beko Chak severed ground links to dozens of villages, submerging lowlying communities.

According to the PDMA, the floods have affected 1,769 villages across Punjab, impacting nearly 1.45 million people. A total of 365 relief camps have been set up in flood-hit areas along the Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers. So far, 429,177 people and over 300,000 livestock have been rescued.