ISLAMABAD – The flood crisis in Punjab continues as India unleashed another wave of water into the Sutlej River, setting off sirens of high alert across the province.
Sutlej is raging at Harike and Ferozepur, where floodwaters threaten to burst through. Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources has declared a full-scale emergency, warning that the situation could turn catastrophic within hours.
In Jalalpur Pirwala, Chenab River smashed through its protective embankment, sweeping away everything in its path. Entire villages are drowning, homes flattened, crops washed away, families fleeing for their lives. Umarpur and Inayatpur are on the verge of total submersion, while the urban belt of Jalalpur Pirwala is bracing for the worst.
A second monstrous wave from the Chenab is thundering toward Multan. Authorities are weighing a desperate move, blowing open the Shershah embankment, to save the city by sacrificing surrounding settlements. Akbar Bund and Graywala Bund are already under siege, with water swallowing entire communities.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has mobilized emergency forces, dispatching boats, rescue teams, and relief supplies to Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, and Lodhran. But panic is spreading fast. In Basti Baharan, a massive breach in the Baloch Wah embankment sent terrified villagers running for their lives.
Troops from the Pakistan Army and Irrigation Department are battling day and night to plug breaches and relocate thousands of stranded people.
As if Punjab’s agony wasn’t enough, the Indus River is swelling dangerously at Guddu Barrage. Low-lying katcha areas in Kashmore are now in imminent danger. Sindh’s disaster authority warns that up to 200 villages and over 224,000 people could be swallowed by the floods if the waters keep rising.
Turning Floods into Economic Opportunities: A Perspective from Pakistan
