Lahore (TDI): More than 1.46 million people across Punjab have been hit by what officials describe as the province’s worst flooding in nearly 40 years, prompting one of the largest evacuation drives in recent memory.
The crisis has been fuelled by torrential monsoon rains and the release of excess water from Indian dams, swelling the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers. Seventeen lives have so far been lost, while vast swathes of farmland and hundreds of villages remain submerged.
Authorities warn that the Chenab River could see a dangerous surge of up to 800,000 cusecs within the next two days. At Head Trimmu near Jhang, flows were rising steadily past 117,000 cusecs late Thursday night. Other key gauges, including Shahdara on the Ravi and Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej, were also reporting “exceptionally high floods.”
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said nearly 265,000 people have been evacuated, with thousands shifted to relief camps and provided medical care. Some 90,000 livestock have also been transported to safety, supported by more than 200 veterinary camps across affected districts.
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Jhang, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Shorkot, Jalalpur Pirwala and Alipur are among the worst-hit areas. Nearly 1,700 villages have reported flooding, including over 990 along the Chenab River alone.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar praised coordination among agencies in preventing a wider disaster in Gujranwala and Wazirabad. He said food, tents and medical supplies were being distributed, while surveys were underway to assess livestock losses. However, he made clear that no compensation would be provided for illegal structures in high-risk flood zones.
Flight operations at Sialkot International Airport were also suspended for 24 hours on Thursday, though officials stressed that the runway and terminal were not damaged.
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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif conducted aerial surveys of the affected districts. CM Maryam criticized India’s release of floodwaters but said early warning systems helped ensure timely evacuations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkiye phoned PM Shehbaz to express solidarity and offered rescue and relief assistance, a gesture the prime minister called a testament to the “deep-rooted brotherhood” between the two nations.
