The Punjab government has called in the army in six districts to assist civil authorities in rescue and relief operations as the province is facing an unprecedented flood emergency due to a combination of heavy rains and India’s decision to release waters from two dams.
Both Pakistan and India have been ravaged by intense monsoon rains and flooding in recent weeks. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said late on Tuesday that India had opened all the gates of its Thein Dam on the Ravi River.
The announcement came a day after Pakistan received a second warning from India that it intended to release water from the rapidly filling Madhopur Dam, Reuters reported. Both dams are located on the Ravi River, which flows from Indian Punjab into Pakistan.
At the same time, heavy rains in the upper catchment areas of the Chenab River have swollen downstream flows, placing thousands of citizens at risk. The Sutlej River is also reaching alarming levels and recording catastrophic discharges.
As of 2am on Wednesday, the Chenab at Head Marala and the Ravi at Head Jassar were declared to be in an “exceptionally high flood” condition, with outflows exceeding 900,000 and 200,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs), respectively.
Authorities have warned that Head Khanki and Head Qadirabad on the Chenab may also reach exceptionally high flood levels within the next 24 hours due to persistent heavy rainfall in the river’s upper catchments.
Head Khanki on the Chenab and Head Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej River were both placed in the “very high flood” category, recording outflows of 426,578 and 245,236 cusecs, respectively.
Officials fear the Ravi River may inflict the most widespread damage, as unlike the Chenab, which is a flowing river, the Ravi is now largely dry for most of the year, particularly the section that flows into Pakistan. The sudden release of water from India has triggered emergency evacuations across several districts, including Lahore and Kasur.
In Kasur, 72 villages and 45,000 residents have been affected. Tens of thousands more have been impacted across the Sutlej basin, including Pakpattan, Vehari, Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur.
Authorities said that 14,000 citizens and 17,000 livestock have been relocated to safety, with 67 relief camps, 38 medical camps, and 46 veterinary centres established.
The PDMA said it had also mobilised 130 boats, 115 outboard motors, 500 rescue workers, 1,300 life jackets and 1,600 tents.
Rescue 1122 said it had evacuated 28,055 people from Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar and Vehari.
PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia ordered urgent evacuations from riverbeds and nullahs, particularly Deg Nullah.
Relief Commissioner Nabil Javed also warned of landslides in Murree and Galiyat.
Authorities cautioned that further inflows from India could compound the crisis, testing the disaster response capacity as both the Ravi and Sutlej rivers continue to surge.
Army called in
According to a spokesperson for the Punjab Home Department, the army has been requisitioned in Lahore, Faisalabad, Kasur, Sialkot, Narowal and Okara districts to support district administrations in protecting lives and property. The decision was taken after local administrations formally requested immediate deployment of troops.
“The army has been called in to aid civil authorities and ensure the safety of citizens,” the spokesperson said, adding that district administrations, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence and police were already working on the front line in the affected areas.
The Home Department confirmed that a formal request had been sent to the federal interior ministry for the deployment of troops. The number of personnel to be deployed in each district will be finalised in consultation with the local administrations.
More intense monsoon
Meanwhile, NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that next year’s monsoon is expected to be 22 per cent more intense, with the potential to cause widespread destruction.
He warned that nearly 45pc of Pakistan’s 7,500 glaciers are melting at an accelerated pace and projected that 65pc of the country’s glaciers could vanish within the next 52 years.
Pakistan has more glaciers than any country outside the polar regions, with over 13,000 identified, primarily in the Karakoram, Hindu Kush and Himalaya ranges of Gilgit-Baltistan. The country’s glaciers are of immense importance as they feed the Indus River system, which serves as the lifeline for the nation’s agriculture, drinking water and energy generation.
“This year’s devastating floods were largely caused by glacial melting,” Lt Gen Malik said, cautioning that unchecked melting could deplete Pakistan’s water reserves and expose the country to severe drought and famine-like conditions.
He noted that the current monsoon, expected to last until Sept 10, has already claimed around 800 lives nationwide.
Senator Bilal Ahmed Khan pointedly asked, “If Rescue 1122 and district administrations are operating on the ground, then what exactly is NDMA’s role?”
The NDMA chairman explained that while Pakistan’s current disaster management relied mostly on ground sensing, the authority had recommended that the government adopt remote sensing technology using climate satellites for more accurate forecasting. “We can now provide early warnings up to six months in advance to provincial authorities,” he said.
According to NDMA estimates, Pakistan suffers $4 billion in annual flood-related losses. April this year was recorded as the hottest month in the country’s history.
Pakistan hardest-hit
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned that Pakistan cannot face the climate crisis alone, urging the international community to provide both technical and financial support to help the country cope with ravaging floods and extreme weather.
“The devastating floods of 2022 and the loss of over 700 lives due to extreme weather events this year alone are stark reminders that Pakistan cannot face this crisis alone,” the prime minister said while addressing the launch of the New Electronic Vehicles Policy 2025-30 on Tuesday.
He stressed that Pakistan remains among the hardest-hit nations despite contributing little to global emissions.
