11 Punjab districts, Sindh on alert as triple-river deluge barrels towards south

• South Punjab braces for historic flood surge as Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab overflow simultaneously for first time in history
• Multan fortifies five dykes with dynamite to shield ‘City of Sufis’ as Chenab surge nears; 300,000 residents face evacuation
• Over 400,000 people already evacuated from 138 vulnerable localities with officials call it biggest rescue operation in Punjab’s history
• Death toll climbs to 30, with 1.5 million people and 2,300 villages affected; 405,000 livestock also rescued
• Agricultural devastation spreads as standing crops and homes swept away across Bahawalnagar, Kasur, Jhang, TT Singh, and Sahiwal
• NDMA warns flood wave could hit Sindh by Sept 6, with flows possibly reaching one million cusecs at Guddu Barrage
• Rescue 1122 deploys 808 boats, evacuating 92,844 people; over 500 relief camps established to house displaced families and animals

LAHORE/MULTAN/ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Eleven districts of Punjab have been placed on high alert as a catastrophic flood wave barrels toward southern Punjab, with Multan bracing for impact, with the authorities having deployed dynamite along protective bunds in a desperate attempt to shield urban centers, as the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) warned that very high to exceptionally high floods will continue in Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers until September 3.

خواتین و حضرات متوجہ ہوں!
گجرانوالہ، لاہور اور گجرات ڈویژن میں شدید بارشوں کا امکان ہے۔
حفاظتی اقدامات یقینی بنائیں اور انتظامیہ کی ہدایات پر سختی عمل کریں
محتاط رہیں، محفوظ رہیں!#WeatherAdvisory #FloodSafety #PtvNews #NDMA #CreativeCell pic.twitter.com/LjOw1NxPCo

— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) August 30, 2025

According to the Flood Forecasting Division, a monsoon low persisting over north Madhya Pradesh in India is fueling heavy to very heavy rainfall, with extremely heavy falls expected in the upper catchments of the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi between September 2 and 3.

لاہور سمیت پنجاب کے مختلف اضلاع میں بارش کا سلسلہ جاری رہا۔محکمہ موسمیات کے مطابق مون سون بارشوں کا 9 واں اسپیل 2ستمبر تک جاری رہنے کا امکان ہے۔۔ تفصیل نوید حیات کی رپورٹ میں۔۔ pic.twitter.com/AULoao9T5y

— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) August 30, 2025

As a result, an exceptionally high flood level is persisting in the Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala, while the Chenab at Trimmu is projected to rise to similar levels within 24 hours.

The Chenab at Panjnad is also forecast to reach a very high flood stage by September 3, prompting the imposition of emergency measures. So far, officials say more than 400,000 people have been evacuated from 138 vulnerable localities as part of the largest rescue operation in the province’s history.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) confirmed that river flows have reached dangerously high levels across Punjab’s river system.

In the Sutlej, water discharge has surged to 253,068 cusecs at Ganda Singh Wala, categorized as extremely high, and 154,219 cusecs at Sulemanki. The Ravi is flowing at 223,385 cusecs at Balloki, also in the extremely high category, while levels stand at 108,960 cusecs at Shahdara and 91,740 at Jassar.

ہیڈبلوکی پر دریاٸے راوی میں انتہاٸی اونچے درجے کے سیلاب کی صورتحال برقرار

نماٸندہ پی ٹی وی نیوز ننکانہ صاحب جاوید احمد معاویہ کی رپورٹ pic.twitter.com/y5S2qfkfhW

— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) August 30, 2025

The Chenab is registering 150,162 cusecs at Marala, placing it in the medium flood stage, with steadily rising flows at Trimmu and Panjnad.

Meanwhile, the Indus River is carrying 350,943 cusecs at Guddu, which is categorized as a medium flood. Officials have emphasized that, for the first time in Pakistan’s history, the Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej are simultaneously overflowing, forcing authorities to blow up embankments in certain areas to divert floodwaters away from densely populated towns and cities.

In Multan, five dykes—Basti Sanki, Basti Duaba, Chak Rohari, Chak Mithon, and Shershah—have been reinforced with dynamite to prevent the Chenab’s roaring surge from inundating the historic city, known as the “City of Sufis.” Preparations are also underway to breach Head Muhammad Wala Road if required, with evacuation plans in place for at least 300,000 residents.

Floodwaters have already submerged vast tracts of agricultural land and rural settlements in Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan, Arifwala, Qabula, Kamalia, Lodhran, Manawala, Sarai Mughal and Rojhan, cutting off more than 50 villages and destroying thousands of acres of standing crops.

The human cost of the unfolding crisis continues to mount. At least 30 people have been killed in recent days, while more than 481,000 people and over 405,000 livestock have been evacuated from affected areas. In total, authorities estimate that more than 1.5 million residents across 2,300 villages have been impacted.

“This is the biggest rescue operation in Punjab’s history,” said Irfan Ali Kathia, head of the PDMA, adding that 800 boats and 1,300 rescue workers have been deployed in nonstop evacuation efforts. Over 500 relief camps have also been set up to house displaced families and their animals.

Cities and districts across Punjab remain on edge as river waters continue to rise. In Kasur, preparations have been finalized to breach the Right Retired Embankment if the situation worsens, while mosque loudspeakers have been used to warn residents to evacuate low-lying areas.

In Jhang, more than 130 villages have been submerged by the Chenab’s advancing waters. While protective dykes remain intact for now, authorities executed deliberate breaches near Rewaz Bridge to divert the flow away from Trimmu Barrage and the city itself.

Pakistan Army’s rescue operations continue in Jhang, Faisalabad, Chiniot and Toba Tek Singh.@OfficialDGISPR #News #RadioPakistan https://t.co/bChMMikCFx pic.twitter.com/DGVUeCITiL

— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) August 30, 2025

In Toba Tek Singh, at least 80,154 people have been affected by the Ravi’s overflow, with 66,639 already evacuated. In Sahiwal, breaches of Ravi’s embankments submerged the villages of Aurangabad and Musipur, sweeping away homes, crops, and livestock. Officials described it as the worst flood since 1988.

The crisis is not confined to Punjab alone. Tarbela Dam has already reached its maximum conservation level of 1,550 feet, while Mangla and Simili dams are also nearing capacity, raising fears of further downstream releases. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 256 people were relocated after torrential rains caused flooding in parts of Peshawar. In Sindh, the Indus at Guddu is already in medium flood, but flows are expected to rise further as the flood surge from Punjab reaches Panjnad by September 4 and Guddu Barrage by September 6, with volumes possibly touching one million cusecs.

The NDMA has stressed that immediate focus remains on search, rescue, evacuation, and disease prevention. Idrees Mahsud, a member of the authority, said Pakistan had learned hard lessons from the 2010 floods, when secondary waves of deaths were reported due to outbreaks of waterborne diseases. “This time, our early warning system is in place,” he assured, adding that damage assessments would be carried out once the waters recede.

Here is an aerial view of the some of the devastation caused by the super floods in my Narowal District. River Ravi, Nala Dek, Nala Basanter, and Nala Baein have overflowed, submerging vast fields of rice and turning them into pools of water. Thousands of poor farmers have lost… pic.twitter.com/4Un9TFKL6c

— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) August 30, 2025

Punjab’s Rescue 1122 service confirmed it has safely evacuated 92,844 people so far, deploying 808 boats across flood-hit districts. Evacuation efforts remain in full swing in Bahawalpur, Kasur, Pakpattan, Okara, Vehari, and Multan. Officials have urged citizens to cooperate fully with rescue workers and provide precise locations for faster response, warning that the scale of the disaster could intensify further if the predicted flood peaks materialize in the coming days.

Water level to surge at Head Sulemanki

Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director-General Irfan Ali Kathia on Saturday said that the floodwater level is likely to head towards Head Sulemanki during the next 48 hours.

While speaking with the media, DG Irfan Ali Kathia said that India released more than 65,000 cusecs of water. Currently, three 30.3000 cusecs of floodwater are passing through Ganda Singh Wala.

He said that more villages were evacuated, which were located near the River Sutlej. Director-General Irfan Ali Kathia said that 8,00,000 cusecs of floodwater will likely reach Head Trimmu tomorrow. He said that 1,21,0000 cusecs of floodwater reached Shahadara and two lakh twenty thousand floodwater is passing through at Head Balooki.

Director-General Irfan Ali Kathia said that a decision will be taken to breach at Head Mohammadwala.

Floodwater of nine lakh twenty-five thousand cusecs is likely to reach Punjnad on September 4, and a floodwater of ten lakh cusecs will enter in Indus River at Guddu Barrage on September 6, 2025.

Sahiwal areas submerged as embankment of Ravi River breaches

An embankment of the Ravi River breached on Saturday, leaving Aurangabad and Musipur areas of Sahiwal submerged.

Now the floodwater is threatening Faisalabad Road and Bahadur Shah area. Reports suggest this is the worst flood Sahiwal has seen since 1988. Rescue teams have shifted more than 5,000 people from Aurangabad and Musipur to safer places.

People of this flood-hit area watched silently as floodwater swept away their crops along Faisalabad-Sahiwal Road. Five houses were also swept away by the floodwater.