Punjab reels as worst floods in years submerge 1,600 villages, displace 1.1m

• Authorities evacuate around 1,009,000 people from flood-prone districts near Chenab river alone
• In total, 147,500 animals evacuated to safer locations, 255 relief camps set up in affected districts
• NDMA, Army and provincial govt leading large-scale relief operations as SUPARCO satellites track floodwaters; embankments reinforced
• NDMA chief confirms 820 deaths nationwide, calls floods ‘unprecedented’ while KP reports 406 deaths
• National disaster management authority warns Sindh of looming floods from upstream, swollen rivers in Punjab
• Sindh CM says government reconstructed headworks, strengthened embankments after deadly 2022 floods
• Says provincial government ‘well prepared’ to tackle the looming threat of downstream floods from Punjab

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD/KARACHI/PESHAWAR: Punjab government, backed by Pakistan Army, the disaster management authorities and modern satellite monitoring, scaled up massive rescue and relief efforts as “unprecedented flash flood” continue to devastate vast swathes of the province, submerging 1,652 villages and forcing evacuation of more than 1.1 million people with Sindh bracing for “exceptionally high flows” moving into the Indus River with forecasting for a new rain spell.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) described the floods, triggered by relentless rains and excessive floodwater released by India, as unprecedented, warning of more flow in rivers, especially downstream into the Indus River.

The Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported that 1,652 villages near the Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi rivers have been submerged. The Chenab remains the worst-hit, forcing the evacuation of over one million people. So far, 1,147,000 residents have been rescued, including 1,009,000 from the Chenab, 127,000 from the Sutlej, and 11,000 from the Ravi. Authorities have also shifted more than 147,000 livestock to safer areas, while 265 medical camps, 255 relief camps, and 214 veterinary camps are operational.

According to the fresh data released by the NDMA, the monsoon death toll now has rose to nearly 820 with over 1,100 injuries nationwide since the start of the monsoon season on June 26. Chairman Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik described the flooding as “unprecedented,” noting the rare convergence of three weather systems — from the Bay of Bengal, the West, and the Arabian Sea — that struck the country simultaneously. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who visited Narowal on Wednesday, warned that the situation may intensify as floodwaters surge towards Sindh, urging authorities to remain on maximum alert.

Pakistan’s space agency SUPARCO has stepped in to provide technical support, supplying satellite images of submerged villages, washed-out roads, and stranded populations. These real-time maps are helping disaster managers prioritize evacuations, track crop and infrastructure losses, and plan supply routes for aid distribution. At least 15 people have died in Punjab’s latest flood spell, while the Pakistan Army continues to aid evacuations in Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Narowal, Okara, Hafizabad, and Sargodha.

The provincial government is on its toes due to the catastrophic flood as the three trans-border rivers have swollen to exceptionally high levels due to a combination of heavy rains and the excess water India is releasing from dams, which then flows across the border into Pakistan. The flooding has forced the government to rush in the Army for assistance in eight districts: Sialkot, Narowal, Hafizabad, Sargodha, Lahore, Kasur, Okara and Faisalabad.

Since most of the Punjab is now CCTV monitored, thermal imaging drone technology was used to spot & track stranded citizens and livestock in many districts including Sialkot, Sargodha, Gujrat & Jhang. 800 cases were successfully coordinated. Well done Safe City Authority. pic.twitter.com/K682qo7ofR

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) August 28, 2025

The worst flood has so far submerged Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Jhang, Chiniot, Sambrial, Daska, Phalia and Kasur. The next cities in line of the flood were Sheikhupura, Shahdara, Hafizabad, Okara and Sahiwal.

فیصل آباد ڈویژن کے لیے بڑا دن۔

دریائے چناب سے آج دس لاکھ کیوسک کا ریلہ چنیوٹ سے گزرنا ہے،
چنیوٹ اور جھنگ کی شہری آبادیوں کو بچانے کے لیے کوٹ محمد یار اور لاہور روڈ پر بارودی مواد نصب کر دیا گیا۔
کل منڈی بہاو الدین بڑے قربانی دی، اور آج چنیوٹ بڑی قربانی دے گا۔ pic.twitter.com/FfP9MuXj89

— Wahab Khan (@Itx_Wahab123) August 28, 2025

The scenes were of utter chaos as villages after village is surrounded by the floodwater with nearly a million people forced out of their homes, rice, cotton and other crops on thousands of acres of land were washed away along with thousands of cattleheads. The rising water in Ravi River has broken a 38-year-old record, threatening Shahdara city near Lahore.

چناب کی بے رحم موجوں میں پوری رات اپنی جھونپڑی کی چھت کے ساتھ لگے درخت پر میاں بیوی نے گزار دی صبج ریسکیو کر لیا گیا۔ pic.twitter.com/fcpLUwCxJk

— صحرانورد (@Aadiiroy2) August 28, 2025

Floodwater from Ravi River has entered localities in Sarai Mughal, surrounding the population, destroying agriculture land, prompting the authorities to set up six flood relief camps along the riverbank. The raging Ravi also wreaked havoc in Manga Mandi, Nasla Basantar, Jester and Narowal and is threatening Head Balloki. A big flood wave of nearly 100,000 cusecs in Ravi passed through Renala Khurd with damage yet to be ascertained.

Assistant Commissioner Tehsil Ravi said that though the situation was under control but a large wave of floodwater of approximately 150,000 cusecs is passing through Shahdara but the water level is expected to rises in the next 12 hours when 200,000 cusecs of water is expected to pass from the area.

Very high to exceptionally high Flood continues in Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej#FloodAlert #RiverLevels #PakistanWeather #FloodForecasting #IndusRiver #ChenabRiver #RaviRiver #SutlejRiver #WaterLevelUpdate #EmergencyPreparedness #WeatherUpdate #FFDReport #DisasterManagement pic.twitter.com/wYdA1PBW7f

— Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) August 27, 2025

Pressure is worsening on Qadirabad Headworks in River Chenab threatening the embankment. The water level is feared to rise to million cusecs which will head to Jhang and Head Trimu in the next 48 hours. On Wednesday, the authorities blew up an embankment next to a monsoon-engorged dam as flooding submerged Kartarpur Sikh shrine. The floodwater from India has triggered flood alerts throughout Punjab, home to nearly half of Pakistan’s 255 million people. Around 210,000 people had moved to another location on Wednesday, according to the disaster authorities.

At the Qadirabad dam on the Chenab River, authorities carried out a controlled explosion of an embankment on Wednesday as the water levels rose. “To save the structure, we have breached the right marginal embankment so that the flow of the water reduces,” said Mazhar Hussain, a spokesperson for Punjab’s disaster management agency.

The Kartarpur shrine, which marks where the founder of the Sikh faith Guru Nanak is said to have died in 1539, was submerged by floodwater. Five boats were sent to the sprawling site to rescue around 100 stranded people.

Authorities fear the crisis will worsen as floodwaters move south into Sindh province, whose chief minister has assigned ministers to monitor flood threats in Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri, while lawmakers from riverine constituencies have been directed to stay in their districts.

Satellite data from Pakistan space agency guides flood relief efforts

Pakistan’s national space agency SUPARCO on Thursday said it provided satellite images of flood-hit areas to help prioritize the government’s relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Large areas of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, have been inundated after India opened all gates of its major dams in the Kashmir region following heavy rains, sending water surging into the Sutlej, Chenab and Ravi rivers.

At least 15 people have died in the latest spell of monsoon floods, with army units deployed for relief operations in the worst-hit districts, including Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Narowal, Okara, Hafizabad and Sargodha.

“SUPARCO acquired pre- and post-satellite images of the affected areas, enabling authorities to clearly observe the situation,” the space agency said in a statement.

“These images showed submerged settlements, damaged roads and disrupted communications,” it continued. “Such space-based information is crucial in disaster management as it allows rapid assessment of the situation, identification of vulnerable zones and prioritization of relief and rehabilitation efforts.”

SUPARCO highlighted that it also made maps of crops and roads under potential exposure based on simulated flood extents.

The agency monitors natural disasters through its disaster watch portal, providing reliable space-based satellite information and continuous updates on the evolving situation in the three rivers.

It has also been using the National Catastrophe Modeling Project to provide risk assessment tools for floods, droughts, heatwaves, cyclones, tsunamis, landslides and earthquakes based on probability.

“This flagship initiative helps in disaster preparedness, disaster risk reduction through mitigation and development of disaster risk financing strategies for Pakistan,” the statement said.

ملتان شہر کو بچانے کی تیاریاں مکمل…… کم و بیش 11 لاکھ کیوسک پانی کا ریلا اگلے چند گھنٹوں میں ملتان پہنچنے والا ہے.
ہیڈ محمد والا سے بند توڑنے کی تیاریاں مکمل جا رہی ہے.
اللہ تعالٰی اہلیانِ پاکستان کی حفاظت فرمائے. آمیــــــن#Flood #Flood2025 #floodinpakistan… pic.twitter.com/uyilw9bIth

— DTE PUNJAB DSD (@DsdDte) August 28, 2025

SUPARCO highlighted the importance of space-based information for disaster management in developing countries, where timely data is crucial for saving lives amid limited ground access.

Torrential rains along with flash floods, landslides and cloudbursts have killed 805 people across the country including 203 children and injured 1,107. Northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has been the worst-hit, accounting for the majority of casualties.

Pakistan is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, experiencing erratic weather from droughts and heatwaves to record-breaking rainfall despite contributing less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Sindh says ‘well prepared’ as NDMA warns of downstream floods

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Thursday the provincial government is “well prepared” to tackle the looming threat of downstream floods from Punjab, saying officials were monitoring the River Indus and its embankments while climate activists and residents expressed fear.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned that rising water levels in Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers were carrying exceptionally high flows and were likely to course downstream into Sindh.

جہلم کے بالائی کیچمنٹ ایریاز میں فعال اور 29 اگست تا 2 ستمبر تک بارشیں متوقع۔ جسکے باعث آزاد جموں و کشمیر میں کوٹلی، باغ، میرپور، پونچھ، راولاکوٹ، مظفرآباد، حویلی اور ملحقہ علاقوں سیلابی صورتحال اور لینڈ سلائیڈنگ کا خدشہ۔ عوام احتیاطی تدابیر اختیار کریں۔ pic.twitter.com/ZbmV0jmPPV

— NDMA PAKISTAN (@ndmapk) August 28, 2025

Torrential rains and excess water released by India have caused devastating floods in Punjab, where 17 people have been killed this week and over 1,600 villages have been submerged with water. The Meteorological Department has warned that Sindh is likely to receive heavy downpours on Aug. 30 and 31 in Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad and Dadu districts.

“The government is well prepared to face the situation we are anticipating,” Shah told the media.

He added that the provincial irrigation department is closely monitoring River Indus and its embankments at the Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages.

دریائے چناب سیلابی صورتحال:

سیلابی ریلوں کی آمد کے باعث دریائے چناب کے بہاؤ میں اضافہ، 31 اگست کو دوپہر 4 بجے کے قریب تریمو بیراج پر پانی کا بہاؤ 7لاکھ سے 8لاکھ کیوسک تک متوقع، شدید سیلابی صورتحال کا خدشہ۔ممکنہ شدید سیلابی صورتحال جھنگ اور اس کے ملحقہ علاقوں کو متاثر کرے گی۔ pic.twitter.com/H3i0ARIMBF

— NDMA PAKISTAN (@ndmapk) August 28, 2025

Shah said his government has activated its emergency response mechanism to counter the looming threat of floods. He said the provincial government had reconstructed headworks and strengthened embankments after the cataclysmic floods of 2022, with several projects still ongoing.

The provincial government has also constructed eco-friendly homes for people affected by the 2022 floods in Sindh under the Peoples Housing Project initiative, the chief minister said.

The Indus River passes through most of Sindh’s districts, leaving them vulnerable to floods when upstream rivers swell. Pakistan’s 2022 monsoon floods, the worst in its history, submerged a third of the country, killed more than 1,700 people and displaced 33 million.

Sindh bore the brunt of the calamity with 1,093 deaths, 1.8 million homes destroyed and the loss of 4.4 million acres of crops. Over a decade earlier in 2011, more than 430 people were killed as over 17 districts were flooded with water. A year before that in 2010, large areas of Pakistan and Sindh were inundated by “super-floods,” resulting in the displacement of millions.

‘Submerged For Several Months’

Sindh-based writer Manzoor Solangi, who has extensively written in newspapers on the province’s previous floods, recalled the 2010 calamity that also damaged his house. He said it was one of the five largest floods recorded worldwide since 1887, adding that nearly one million cusecs of water flowed downstream into the province.

Solangi remembered how his home district of Naushahro Feroze received an unprecedented 1,763 millimeters of rainfall in 2022.

“There are fears the flow this time could exceed 1.2 million cusecs, a level beyond the capacity of the flow of Sindh’s all three barrages, Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri,” Solangi warned.

He noted that authorities may be forced to create breaches in flood protection dikes, which could result in large-scale flooding in Sindh’s settled areas.”

‘Remain Vigilant’

According to a senior NDMA official Dr Tayyab Shah, Pakistan was expecting another heavy spell of rains in its northern parts which would increase the flow of rivers in the country.

“I would strongly emphasize that this situation would start becoming more imminent in the southern part of Pakistan,” Dr. Shah said at the National Emergency Response Center in Islamabad.

“Because the flood is now moving toward the southern region of Pakistan.”

Pointing to an area of the NDMA’s response center where large LEDs depicting weather patterns across the country could be seen, Dr. Shah said this was where the disaster management authority generates early warnings before any imminent threat.

“In the month of June, we provided the first early warning that this year Pakistan would have a substantial, heavier downpour in the northeastern regions of Pakistan,” the NDMA official said.

He said people living in southern Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin, Jhang, Sargodha, Chiniot, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rajanpur cities to be wary of the floods.

In Sindh, he warned floods may affect people in Ghotki, Kashmore and Sanghar districts.

“All those people who are living near the proximity of the rivers, they should remain vigilant,” the NDMA official said.

Several Sindh villages submerged as River Indus bursts its banks

As the Punjab is grappling with the situation arising out of devastating floods, the people of Sindh are now also suffering as the River Indus has burst its banks at several places.

The road connection between several villages in the katcha area of tehsil Gambat of the district Khairpur was severed after the River Indus, which was in medium flood, burst its banks.

Residents of villages Haji Muhammad Usman, Amir Bux, Ghulam Nabi, Bachal Narejo, Khanr Narejo, Ali Khan Narejo and others were forced to move to safe locations on mules and boats, after floodwater left these villages completely submerged.

Meanwhile, the water level in the River Indus, which had been in low flood at Guddu Barrage for the last four days, continued to rise.  According to the Control Room, the inflow of water at the site was recorded at over 333,000 cusecs, while the outflow at over 300,000 cusecs.

The Control Room further said that the water level at Guddu rose by 21,321 cusecs during the last 24 hours due to the water released by India, and was expected to rise further.

 The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast another strong monsoon spell between Aug 29 and Sept 2, warning of heavy rains in upper and central Punjab, KP, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir. It has alerted authorities about potential flash floods in hill torrents, landslides in GB and KP, and urban flooding in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, and Karachi.

Punjab Flood Emergency 2025 | PMD Official Alert & Safety Guidelines #pmd #Pakistan #weather #FloodAlert #Flood pic.twitter.com/wpxwjg72qm

— Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) August 28, 2025

Punjab Home Department requests Army deployment in Lodhran

Punjab’s Home Department has requested fresh Army deployment in Lodhran, where floodwaters are spreading. More than 9,000 Civil Defence volunteers are currently assisting in relief work, while hundreds of families remain sheltered in makeshift camps.

The request comes as Pakistan Army troops have already been assisting in Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Narowal, Okara, Sargodha, and Hafizabad. The Pakistan Army has been deployed to aid district administrations and ensure the protection of human lives in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government continues its rescue and relief operations in flood-hit regions, with district administrations, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Civil Defence, Rescue, and Police working around the clock.

Over 9,000 Civil Defence volunteers are actively serving in flood-affected areas across Punjab. Relief camps have been established to provide shelter and support to affected communities. Civil Defence teams are also assisting in the safe evacuation of residents and their livestock to secure locations.

Authorities urge the public to cooperate with the administration during ongoing rescue and relief operations.

Kamal reviews flood health response at NIH’s Emergency Operations Cell

Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Thursday visited the Flood Emergency Operations Cell at the National Institute of Health (NIH) to review medical relief measures for flood-affected communities.

He was briefed on actions and challenges in ensuring healthcare delivery. Kamal said the ministry and attached bodies are on high alert, with round-the-clock monitoring and coordination through control rooms in provincial DG Health offices and designated focal persons.

He added that the Health Ministry is working closely with NDMA, provinces and international partners, while NIH is monitoring outbreaks and collecting real-time health data. Essential medicines and vaccines have already been dispatched to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, with adequate stocks maintained for emerging needs.

Reaffirming government commitment, Kamal said all resources are being mobilized to provide uninterrupted healthcare to flood victims. The session was attended by the Health Secretary, NIH CEO, WHO Pakistan head and provincial health representatives.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has borne heavy losses from torrential cloudbursts since Aug 15. Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said 406 people had lost their lives, 245 were injured, and more than 3,000 houses were damaged or destroyed across Buner, Swat, Shangla, Bajaur, Mansehra, and Swabi. Infrastructure losses include 511 roads, 77 bridges, and 2,123 shops. However, swift rescue operations, involving 2,061 personnel and 176 vehicles and boats, saved more than 5,500 people.

The Chief Minister announced an enhanced compensation package, doubling payments for deceased families to Rs2 million and injured victims to Rs500,000. Owners of destroyed houses will receive Rs1 million, partially damaged houses Rs300,000, destroyed shops Rs500,000, and shop cleanup Rs100,000. Farmers and livestock owners are also being covered. So far, Rs654 million has been disbursed to families of 350 deceased, with additional billions being readied for digital payments to ensure transparency.

Gandapur pledged that every loss would be compensated, homes rebuilt, and displaced families relocated to safer areas. Children orphaned by the disaster will be fully supported by the provincial government. He also expressed solidarity with Punjab’s flood victims, assuring that KP is ready to provide assistance wherever required.