Punjab is facing one of the worst flood crises in recent years as torrential rains and the release of water from India into rivers have triggered catastrophic flooding across the province.
At least 17 people have lost their lives in incidents of house collapses and drowning, while dozens remain missing.
The Indus, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, and Jhelum rivers are all in high flood, submerging vast tracts of farmland and displacing tens of thousands.
The flooding has caused embankments to breach at multiple locations, sending torrents into villages and sweeping away standing crops.
The Pakistan Army, along with rescue agencies, has launched large-scale evacuation and relief efforts, deploying boats to ferry stranded residents to safety.
The crisis was triggered after India released large volumes of water into Punjab’s rivers, unleashing widespread devastation.
Breaches in protective dykes have allowed water to inundate settlements.
Villages along the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers have been submerged, while standing crops have been destroyed.
Seventeen deaths have been confirmed due to house collapses and drowning incidents, with many more reported missing.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said more than 1.4 million people have been affected.
Thousands of families are living under the open sky without shelter, struggling with shortages of food and medicine.
Authorities have relocated approximately 3,000 people to safer areas across 30 districts, with 700 rescue boats deployed. Despite this, many areas remain cut off.
At Head Marala, the flood torrent washed away the only road connecting Sialkot to 80 villages in the Bajwat sector.
A chairlift system installed after five years of effort and costing Rs15 million was also swept away.
Locals said three days had passed without assistance, accusing lawmakers of turning up only for photo opportunities.
Rescue and relief operations are underway in flood-affected areas.
Thousands were relocated to safer places from settlements along the Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, Jhelum and Indus rivers.
So far, more than 45,000 people have been evacuated across Punjab.
The worst-affected districts include Gujrat, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Narowal, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur, Okara and Pakpattan.
A total of 669 boats and 2,861 rescuers are taking part in the ongoing operations.
In the past 24 hours alone, 816 people were rescued from Kala Sheedian in Mandi Bahauddin and 625 from Pindi Bhattian tehsil in Hafizabad.
In Nankana Sahib, 1,553 people, including 568 women and 318 children, were evacuated safely. Rescue teams also shifted 2,392 cattle to safer areas.
In Nankana Sahib alone, 14 boats, 93 rescue workers and 122 volunteers participated in the operation.
Seven flood relief and shelter camps were set up under the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, providing food, medical care and other facilities.
Water levels in the Ravi River have risen dangerously.
At Shahdara, the flood flow surged to 219,000 cusecs, inundating several houses in Farrukhabad. Water has also entered Badami Bagh and Aziz Colony.
Pressure remains high at Kot Naina and Jastar, while flows at Siphon and Head Balloki pose heightened risks for Lahore.
According to PDMA, water discharge in the Ravi continues to rise. The Punjab Relief Commissioner earlier stated that Shahdara could withstand up to 250,000 cusecs, but the river has now crossed its banks, flooding nearby settlements.
Local mosques issued announcements urging residents to evacuate. Rescue teams, supported by the PARA force, evacuated people from surrounding villages. District authorities have cleared 22 localities across five tehsils of Lahore.
In Shakargarh, vast farmlands have gone underwater, dozens of houses have collapsed, and three people have died.
The Chenab River is witnessing extremely high flood levels.
At Marala, inflows are 191,000 cusecs and outflows 185,000 cusecs, with some decline noted; at Khanki, flows have surged to 859,000 cusecs (extremely high flood); and at Qadirabad Headworks, the flow has peaked at 996,000 cusecs, far above safe limits.
The PDMA warned that embankments are under severe pressure, and breaches could devastate Hafizabad and Chiniot.
Already, over 50 villages in Sambrial are underwater, and eight people have drowned.
Authorities in Muzaffargarh expect floodwaters of 600,000–700,000 cusecs to reach the district by Friday.
Protective bunds in Rangpur, Muradabad, Bhattiwala, Thattha Sialan, and Sanki have developed cracks, heightening fears of breaches.
At Chiniot, flows have reached 350,000 cusecs against a capacity of 950,000 cusecs. Officials said a decision on deliberately breaching embankments to protect the city has not yet been made.
A massive flood wave of one million cusecs in the Chenab has submerged nearby settlements, destroying crops and sweeping away livestock and farm machinery.
Areas including Qadirabad, Khanki, Wazirabad, Sambarial, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, and Sargodha have been severely affected.
Authorities have issued alerts in Multan and Muzaffargarh, preparing to breach Head Muhammadwala embankment if needed.
The next 48 hours are critical for Jhang and Multan to avert major devastation.
According to PDMA, a medium-level flood is passing at Marala, while Khanki and Qadirabad are experiencing extremely high floods.
More than 50 villages in Sambarial are already underwater, where eight deaths have been reported.
A flood wave of 600,000–700,000 cusecs is expected to reach Muzaffargarh by Friday.
Chiniot is witnessing a 350,000-cusec flow, though no breach has yet been ordered.
Over 9,000 Civil Defence volunteers are working alongside the Army, PDMA, Rescue 1122, and police.
Relief camps have been set up across Punjab, providing emergency shelter and assistance. Authorities have warned residents of Gujrat, Hafizabad, Pindi Bhattian, Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin, Chiniot, Jhang, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Kasur, Pakpattan, Phool Nagar, Okara, and Bahawalnagar to brace for further flooding.
The NDMA has also issued nationwide alerts, urging citizens in low-lying areas to evacuate immediately.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz visited Narowal and Sialkot on Thursday to review the flood-hit areas.
They also conducted an aerial inspection of Gurdwara Kartarpur and adjoining flood-affected regions.
Later, CM Maryam Nawaz visited the Ravi River, where she boarded a boat to assess the situation at Shahdara.
She was accompanied by Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb, Punjab Information Minister Uzma Bukhari, and Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan. Local administration officials also briefed the chief minister on rescue and relief measures.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Maryam said Punjab’s three major rivers were under severe pressure, but timely action by the administration and rescue services helped avert large-scale devastation.
“If preventive measures had not been taken, the destruction would have been far greater,” she remarked, adding that torrential rains lashed various parts of Punjab but “Allah saved us from major losses.” She noted that over 50,000 people had been relocated to safer places, while Gujrat, Narowal, and Sialkot faced particularly critical conditions.
Authorities have released a list of cities most at risk from very high-level flooding in Punjab’s rivers.
• Chenab River: Gujrat, Hafizabad, Pindi Bhattian, Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin, Chiniot, and Jhang are under threat.
• Ravi River: Lahore localities including Kot Mandu, Aziz Colony, Qaiser Town, and Faisal Park could be affected, while floodwaters are also heading toward villages in Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, and Khanewal.
• Sutlej River: Emergency conditions have been declared in Kasur, Pakpattan, Phool Nagar, Okara, and Bahawalnagar.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued an alert urging residents in vulnerable areas to immediately move to safe locations.
