Punjab is facing its most devastating floods in decades, with more than 1.46 million people displaced and entire villages swallowed by rising waters. The provincial government has launched an unprecedented evacuation drive as the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers continue to swell.
Seventeen people have already lost their lives, while thousands of families remain stranded in submerged areas. Standing crops over vast farmlands have been destroyed, raising concerns of a looming agricultural and food crisis.
At Qadirabad, the Chenab’s water flow has surged beyond 305,000 cusecs. Officials warn that levels could reach as high as 800,000 cusecs within the next two days. To ease mounting pressure, embankments have been deliberately breached in several areas, though more than 1,400 villages remain under water.
The districts of Jhang, Shorkot, Khanewal, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Shujaabad, Jalalpur Peerwala, and Alipur have been among the hardest hit, forcing millions to seek refuge on higher ground and in relief camps.
Meteorologists now warn that the crisis may deepen. The Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted another spell of torrential monsoon rains from August 29 to September 2, driven by strong winds from the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and an incoming westerly weather system.
Heavy rainfall is expected across Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while southern Punjab districts—Multan, Bahawalpur, Rajanpur, and Rahim Yar Khan—as well as parts of Sindh and Balochistan are also at risk.
Authorities have issued fresh alerts for flash floods, urban flooding, and landslides in low-lying and mountainous areas. Relief agencies remain on high alert as rescue and evacuation efforts intensify across the province.
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