ISLAMABAD: Nearly 150,000 residents have been evacuated from vulnerable districts across Punjab after the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued high-level flood alerts, warning of rapidly rising water levels in the Sutlej and Ravi rivers. The surge, officials said, is the result of continuous heavy rainfall combined with fresh water releases from India.
Authorities have since cautioned that adjoining districts remain at risk as both rivers continue to swell. Acting on early warnings, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab launched extensive evacuation drives, relocating tens of thousands from Bahawalnagar, Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalpur, and Vehari. Hundreds of riverside villages have already been cleared. According to NDMA figures, about 40,000 residents moved to safety on their own shortly after advisories were issued. Emergency response teams have been deployed, while all provincial departments remain on high alert.
Citizens have been strongly advised to stay away from rivers, streams, and low-lying areas, avoid unnecessary travel, and follow safety protocols being broadcast via television, radio, SMS alerts, and the Pak NDMA Disaster Alert app. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has directed officials to ensure timely rescue of stranded populations as flood torrents advance.
The NDMA described the situation in major rivers as “critical.” The Sutlej has entered a very high flood stage in several areas, while other points are at high to medium levels. The Ravi is witnessing rising flows, with medium flooding at some locations and low levels at others. Tributaries including Basantar, Bein, and Deg are also running at low to medium flood. The Indus faces medium flooding at Sukkur and low flooding at Kalabagh, Chashma, Guddu, and Kotri barrages. Meanwhile, the Chenab has recorded low flooding at Head Marala, while the Jhelum, Kabul, and Nari rivers remain stable. In addition, Tarbela is near capacity, Mangla is filling rapidly, and smaller reservoirs such as Khanpur, Rawal, and Simly are recording rising levels.
District administrations across Lahore, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan have been ordered to stay alert. Mosque loudspeakers are being used to urge residents to move to safety. Relief camps have been established, along with arrangements for fodder and livestock shelter. Officials note that Punjab, Pakistan’s agricultural heartland, faces significant risk if flooding intensifies.
The crisis comes after New Delhi twice contacted Islamabad last week to inform it of planned water discharges. Madhopur Headworks has increased inflows into the Ravi, while additional releases into the Sutlej have already inundated parts of southern Punjab. Indian officials did not specify which dams were involved but confirmed the alerts were conveyed through diplomatic channels, bypassing the Indus Waters Commission.
This development has raised eyebrows in Islamabad, as India in April declared the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) “in abeyance” following a militant attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)—an allegation Pakistan rejects. The move had escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors, leading to the most serious military clash in decades before a US-brokered ceasefire. Islamabad views India’s suspension of the treaty as a violation of international law, warning it could undermine regional peace.
The NDMA also warned that further rainfall in Indian states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand could worsen flooding in Pakistan. Pakistan has already suffered widespread devastation this monsoon: 799 people have died since late June, including nearly 400 in the northwest alone. Gilgit-Baltistan has faced accelerated glacial melt, while Karachi was partially submerged last week. Heavy rains in IIOJK this month have claimed at least 60 lives.
The Indus Waters Treaty, signed in 1960 with World Bank mediation, allocates the three eastern rivers—Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi—to India, and the three western rivers—Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab—to Pakistan. The pact does not allow unilateral suspension or termination. Islamabad fears India could exploit this ambiguity to disrupt water supplies critical for agriculture and hydropower.
For now, Pakistan’s emergency services are racing against time to safeguard lives and property, as warnings of continued heavy downpours extend into September.
