Sindh under severe flood threat as Indus surges

• More than 100 lives lost; Shujabad, Alipur, Liaqatpur and Lodhran hardest hit

MULTAN: Flood devastation continues to worsen across Punjab and Sindh as major rivers breach embankments, displacing millions and destroying vast stretches of farmland.

The flow in Indus River at Guddu Barrage surged to 537,000 cusecs on Saturday, prompting a high-level flood warning. Authorities cautioned that by September 15, extremely high flood conditions are expected downstream, putting Sindh at imminent risk. The province, still reeling from the catastrophic 2022 floods, now braces for another major disaster.

Water levels are steadily rising at Sukkur and Kotri Barrages. Sukkur has recorded inflows of 460,000 cusecs, while Kotri is under a low-level flood alert. In southern Punjab, Rajanpur and Chachran Sharif reported water levels reaching 11.4 feet, while flood surges from Head Panjnad have advanced to Kot Mithan, threatening nearby katcha settlements.

Although flows at Head Panjnad have fallen slightly to 633,000 cusecs, they remain at extremely high flood levels. In Ali Pur’s katcha belt of Malan Wali, rising waters forced hundreds of families to evacuate.

The River Chenab has already wreaked havoc in Jalalpur Pirwala and advanced towards Shujabad, where a 250-foot breach in a protective embankment has submerged dozens of villages. Thousands have been forced to flee as the floodwaters move toward the city. In Dhowandho village, a collapsed embankment left 138 settlements under water, while crops in Basti Ga Garan were completely destroyed.

The devastation extends to Alipur and Sitpur, where thousands of acres of farmland lie submerged, and in Liaqatpur, 21 villages have been directly affected. In Lodhran, two protective dikes gave way, inundating populated areas. Drone-assisted rescue operations were deployed to extract stranded families.

According to officials, nearly 5,000 villages across Punjab have been inundated, with more than 100 confirmed fatalities. Over 4.5 million people have been affected, and 2.45 million have been evacuated to safer locations.

Some respite was reported in central Punjab, where water levels in the Ravi River began receding at Head Sidhnai, though a moderate flood warning remains in effect. The Sutlej also showed signs of decline, with flows at Ganda Singh Wala dropping by 78,000 cusecs. Even so, low- to moderate-level flood alerts persist at Head Sulemanki and Head Islam.