The National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC), established by Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), has issued an emergency alert regarding three major rivers in Punjab — the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej. According to NEOC, these rivers are currently facing an extraordinary flood situation. As per the latest details, the Chenab River at Marala is witnessing an extremely high flood level with a flow of 769,481 cusecs, causing a rapid rise in water levels. At Khanki, the Chenab is experiencing a flow of 705,225 cusecs, though the discharge there has started to decline. NDMA further reported that the Ravi River at Jassar is currently passing a high flood flow of 202,200 cusecs, which could rise to 229,700 cusecs. At Shahdara, the Ravi has reached a flow of 72,900 cusecs, raising flood threats for the low-lying areas of Shahdara, Park View, and Motorway-2. Alongside Ravi and Chenab, the Sutlej River at Ganda Singh Wala is also maintaining an extremely high flood flow of more than 200,000 cusecs. At Suleimanki, the current discharge has been recorded at 135,500 cusecs. In view of the worsening flood crisis in Punjab, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed NDMA to supervise all rescue and relief operations. The National Emergencies Operation Center has been made fully operational 24/7, and NDMA is closely coordinating with both civil and military institutions. In its advisory, NDMA has urged people living near riverbanks and waterways to immediately move to safer locations. Citizens are advised to strictly follow local administration instructions, contact rescue teams in emergencies, avoid unnecessary travel to flood-hit areas, keep an emergency kit (water, food, medicines) ready, and secure their important documents.
The Director General of Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Irfan Ali Kathia, has said that the flood wave will pass near Lahore tonight. Briefing the media on Wednesday, he stated that the Ravi River at Jassar currently has a water flow of around 240,000 cusecs, which will pass through Shahdara, near Lahore, between 10 PM and midnight tonight, and by 9 AM tomorrow it will reach Head Balloki. According to him, Shahdara can easily withstand a flow of 250,000 cusecs, while the expected discharge there will be around 190,000 cusecs. He added that it has been 38 to 39 years since such a high water flow has passed through this area. The PDMA chief explained that due to record rainfall yesterday, the water flow in the Chenab River surged from 80,000–90,000 cusecs to 900,000 cusecs within just a few hours. However, he confirmed that the floodwater has safely passed through Head Marala without causing any damage to the headworks. At present, the water flow at Head Marala is recorded at 675,000 cusecs, and it is now passing through Khanki without harming the structure. Based on the capacity of Khanki Headworks, he assured that the river will safely pass through in the coming hours. “We hope that the water in the Chenab will remain within the riverbanks and eventually merge with other rivers at Panjnad,” he added. Speaking about the Sutlej River, he said that the river has been facing a high flood situation for the past 5 to 10 days. At Ganda Singh, the river has been continuously discharging around 245,000 cusecs for the last 6 to 8 hours, but the level is not rising. “As rainfall has stopped in the upper catchment areas, we expect a decrease in the water flow,” he noted. The DG PDMA further said that, in view of the situation, evacuations were carried out around all three rivers. He confirmed that around 150,000 people had already been relocated from areas near the Indus and Sutlej, but the sudden surge in Ravi and Chenab within a few hours proved to be a major challenge. He explained that overnight evacuations were conducted from the riverbanks, with the assistance of the army. He assured that the water has so far remained within the river channels, and the embankments of all rivers are intact, with no breaches reported. Despite the scale of flooding, he claimed that Punjab has not suffered significant loss of life.
Due to severe flooding in the River Ravi, water has entered the historically significant Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, located on the Pakistan-India border. According to the Deputy Secretary of the Kartarpur Project, nearly 100 people, including 18 local pilgrims, are trapped inside the gurdwara as floodwaters continue to rise. He confirmed that the images circulating on social media were shared by their own staff and clarified that the water seen in the photos is not rainwater but floodwater. Officials from the Kartarpur administration said that a breach in the nearby Ravi River caused floodwaters to enter the gurdwara, reaching a height of nine to ten feet. Around 100 people remain stranded inside, including pilgrims, staff, and religious figures. Rescue and emergency services have not yet been able to reach them, but efforts are being made to arrange a helicopter evacuation. The national highway connecting Shakargarh to Narowal has been submerged, and more than 250 people have already been moved to safer locations. In Shakargarh, heavy water flow at Nullah Ooj and Jastar points has created serious problems for nearby populations, with water moving rapidly towards Narowal. The breach of the Jastar-Bastar embankment has made it difficult to rescue pilgrims at the gurdwara. Pakistan’s armed forces and rescue teams are carrying out operations in the border areas. So far, more than 409 people, including livestock, have been rescued. Operations have been conducted at 21 sites, though some areas remain difficult to access. In Jhan Man Singh village, water has surrounded homes, trapping many families inside. Commissioner Gujranwala, Naveed Haider Shirazi, said that army relief teams have been sent to Sialkot and Narowal. Around 4,500 people have been evacuated from Sialkot and another 200 from Narowal. He added that the population of four villages in Wazirabad has been completely relocated, while nearly 15,000 people from Gujrat have also been shifted to safe zones. Relief camps are active, with adequate food and medicines stocked to handle the emergency.
In view of the flood situation in six districts of Punjab, the Punjab Home Department has written to the Federal Ministry of Interior requesting the deployment of the army in these areas. The six districts where immediate army deployment has been requested are Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Narowal, and Okara. According to a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Punjab Home Department, the army has been called in on the instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to assist the district administration. The statement added that the district administration, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Rescue 1122, Civil Defense, and Police are already on the front line carrying out their duties. The spokesperson further said that the number of army troops in each district will be decided in consultation with the district administration. However, Army Aviation and other resources will also be provided in flood-affected areas as required. The statement emphasized that all relevant departments of the Punjab government are closely monitoring the flood situation, and timely measures are being taken to ensure the protection of people’s lives and property.
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