Worst monsoon floods in decades leave millions displaced in Pakistan

Pakistan is facing its worst monsoon floods in decades, with millions displaced and authorities warning of catastrophic inundation in Sindh and Balochistan after weeks of devastation across Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) report revealed that the floods have so far affected more than 2,300 villages, displacing an estimated 1.5 million people. Around 481,000 stranded individuals have been moved to safer areas. Relief efforts are underway, with 511 relief camps set up in flood-hit districts, alongside 351 medical camps and 321 veterinary facilities. Rescue teams have also shifted over 405,000 livestock to safety.

The humanitarian toll continues to climb. At least 30 people have died in the ongoing floods, including two fatalities in Lahore caused by lightning strikes. Officials confirmed widespread losses to crops, homes and livestock, with damage assessments currently underway. Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed said compensation would be ensured, particularly for farmers who lost standing crops and livestock.

The relentless rains have aggravated urban flooding in Lahore, where major thoroughfares — including Mall Road, Davis Road, Gulberg, Garhi Shahu and areas around Ravi Bridge — remain submerged. Several power feeders tripped across the city, plunging neighbourhoods into darkness. Monsoon showers were recorded across Punjab over the past 24 hours, including 81 mm in Mandi Bahauddin, 63 mm in Hafizabad, 50 mm in Jhelum, 47 mm in Sialkot, 44 mm in Bahawalnagar and 26 mm in Lahore.

Worst flooding in decades

PDMA said the province is witnessing its worst flooding in decades. PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said the Sutlej River overflowed after a breach at India’s Madhopur Headworks, sending massive volumes of water toward Pakistan. Kasur, he said, recorded its highest water levels since 1955.

“Protecting Kasur city has become a major challenge,” Kathia warned, adding that communication with Indian authorities on water releases has been “insufficient and unreliable.” At Ganda Singh Wala in Kasur, water levels have begun to recede but remain dangerously high at more than 300,000 cusecs. At Head Sulemanki, flows exceed 100,000 cusecs, while Head Islam faces rising threats in the next 24 hours.

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In Multan, authorities are bracing for a surge of more than 700,000 cusecs at Head Muhammad Wala, where controlled breaches may be required. Evacuations are underway in 138 nearby settlements, with more than 300,000 people expected to be displaced.

Sixty-four villages in Shujabad and Jalalpur Pirwala remain under imminent threat. Relief camps have been established in the district to provide food, water and temporary shelter. In other parts of Punjab, floodwaters have cut off land access to villages in Sialkot, Pasrur, Hafizabad and Pakpattan.

In Chishtian, a breach in the Sutlej embankment inundated homes and farmland, affecting nearly 50 settlements. In Sialkot’s Bajwat area, 85 villages have lost road connectivity, leaving residents stranded.

The Ravi and Chenab rivers are also under pressure. While Lahore’s immediate threat has eased after water levels dropped in the Ravi, the situation remains volatile downstream in Okara, Sahiwal and Toba Tek Singh.

Persistent rainfall across flood-hit districts is worsening conditions. In Jhelum, overflowing streams and drains have inundated residential neighbourhoods, while in Sheikhupura and Chiniot, low-lying areas are struggling with water accumulation.

In Sialkot, a stormwater drain in Badiana overflowed, forcing road closures and flooding nearby towns. The Zafarwal–Lehri road has been washed away, severing access to dozens of villages. Officials said thousands of acres of rice crops have been destroyed.

NDMA warns of Indus flooding

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued high-level alerts for the Indus River, warning of extreme flooding between September 3 and 6.

At Panjnad Headworks, flows of up to 950,000 cusecs are expected, with potential breaches pushing water levels toward 900,000 cusecs. Guddu Barrage could face flows ranging from 800,000 to 1.1 million cusecs, posing grave risks to low-lying areas downstream.

“Severe high-level flooding is likely in the Indus,” the NDMA said, cautioning that strong upstream currents could trigger a cascading disaster downstream in Sindh and Balochistan.

Sindh is preparing for fresh surges in the Indus, while Balochistan is bracing for floodwaters expected to enter the province through Jaffarabad, Usta Muhammad, Sohbatpur and Rojhan by September 2.

Balochistan Irrigation Minister Sadiq Umrani said a camp office has been established in Naseerabad and that provincial authorities are coordinating closely with Sindh. “We are monitoring the situation hour by hour,” Umrani said.

Evacuations and Relief Efforts

Rescue teams, backed by the army, are racing against time to move people and livestock to higher ground. Large swathes of Punjab remain under water, particularly in Kasur, Multan, Sialkot, Rajanpur, Pakpattan and Chishtian.

Authorities have evacuated thousands of families from Kasur, Multan, Hafizabad and Chishtian, while rescue teams are using boats to relocate residents in the hardest-hit districts. Relief camps have been set up across Punjab and Balochistan to provide food, drinking water, medical assistance and temporary shelter.

However, displaced residents in Multan and Rajanpur complained of shortages of boats and inadequate arrangements for moving livestock. Farmers in Sialkot and Pakpattan said they had lost entire harvests of rice and sugarcane.

Meteorologists warned that the next 48 hours are critical for southern Punjab, Sindh, and northern Balochistan as water levels peak in the Chenab and Indus rivers. Government officials urged residents in flood-prone areas to move immediately to relief camps and higher ground.

“This is a national emergency,” the NDMA said in a statement, urging cooperation between provincial governments, the military, and local communities.