Punjab Floods Kill 46, Affect 3.5 Million, Thousands of Villages Submerged

LAHORE – At least 46 people have lost their lives and 3.5 million have been affected as devastating floods sweep across Punjab, officials said on Thursday.

According to Irfan Ali Kathia, Director General of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), nearly 4,000 villages have been inundated while rescue teams have evacuated around 1.5 million people. He warned that floodwaters from the River Chenab at Qadirabad are expected to inundate already affected areas again, with Jhang district facing heightened risk. A massive flood wave of 900,000 cusecs is projected to enter Sindh between September 6 and 7.

Twin Threat for Multan and Muzaffargarh
Authorities reported that the confluence of the Ravi and Chenab rivers near Khanewal poses a “double threat” to the districts of Multan and Muzaffargarh. At Head Muhammadwala and Sher Shah, water levels have risen to 412 feet—just five feet below the danger mark. Officials have declared the next 12 hours critical as pressure builds on embankments downstream.

In response, the Punjab government has adopted a policy of “controlled breaches” to divert water from densely populated areas, aiming to reduce pressure on barrages and major embankments.

Villages Engulfed, Embankments Breached
Floodwaters have already submerged dozens of villages in Kabirwala, Shujabad, and Lodhran. In Shujabad, several settlements were inundated, forcing residents to flee on their own. In Lodhran, the collapse of embankments in five localities allowed floodwaters to sweep into farmlands, cutting off ground links to surrounding villages.

Flood Forecast Division Updates

At Balloki, high-level flooding in the Ravi with inflows and outflows of 114,130 cusecs.

At Sidhnai, extremely high flooding recorded with inflows of 160,580 cusecs and outflows of 157,580 cusecs.

At Jassar, medium-level flooding with 85,980 cusecs inflows and outflows.

Authorities have urged residents in low-lying areas to evacuate immediately as conditions remain volatile.