LAHORE(National times)- The provincial Relief Commissioner report on Sunday mentioned that the flood situation in the rivers of Punjab remains critical and more than 4.2 million people have been affected with 50 deaths. According to Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed, the severe fl ooding in rivers has affected more than 4,100 villages across the province, impacting a total of 4.225 million people. Of them, over 2.014 million have been relocated to safer areas. The official report said that 423 relief camps, 512 medical camps, and 432 veterinary camps have been established in the flood-affected districts. During rescue and relief operations, 1.511 million livestock have also been moved to safer locations. Meanwhile, the PDMA (Provincial Disaster Management Authority) reported that Mangla Dam is 87% full, and Tarbela Dam is at 100% capacity. In India, Bhakra Dam is 90% full, Pong Dam is 99% full, and Thein Dam is 97% full. The PDMA expressed concern that with a new spell of rain, India could discharge more water in rivers.
LEGAL ACTION
In Chishtian area, police have registered a case against 17 people for attempting to breach a temporary flood protection embankment in Kamaran village. Meanwhile, in Bahawalnagar’s Sutlej belt, temporary embankments built by locals across a 160-kilometer stretch have collapsed on multiple locations, flooding thousands of acres of land and cutting off dozens of villages in Minchinabad, Bahawalnagar, and Chishtian from nearby cities. The floodwaters of the Chenab River have wreaked havoc in Shujabad and Jalalpur tehsils of Multan. Due to the confluence of two rivers in this region, Jalalpur Pirwala has suffered the most damage, with over 50 villages affected. According to the Irrigation Department, an eight-kilometer-long temporary embankment is being constructed rapidly to protect Multan city. There has been a temporary decrease in water flow at Akbar Bund and Sher Shah Bund** in Multan, with the water level holding at 394 feet for the past 48 hours.
HEAD PANJNAD
A high-level flood is occurring at Head Panjnad, where the water flow has reached nearly 370,000 cusecs. At Chiniot, a medium-level flood is reported. In Alipur, the breach of embankment has submerged dozens of villages, forcing residents to evacuate on their own. In Bahawalnagar, intense flooding has submerged 143 villages, displacing over 100,000 people. The flood has destroyed homes, crops, and infrastructure in the region. At Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej River, although water levels have slightly decreased, the flood persists, raising concerns of further flooding downstream.
40 VILLAGES SUBMERGED IN KABIRWALA
Meanwhile, a flood wave from the Ravi River, emerging from the Mai Safura embankment, has submerged 40 villages in Kabirwala, displacing over 80,000 people. The flood has caused widespread damage to crops, homes, and government buildings.
FLOOD SITUATION IN SINDH
According to the Sindh Information Department, the floodwaters that caused destruction in Punjab have now entered Sindh. At Head Panjnad, an extremely high flood level is being recorded. The water inflow at Panjnad Barrage has increased by 97,706 cusecs, reaching a total inflow and outflow of 446,820 cusecs. At Trimmu Barrage, inflow and outflow are recorded at 508,371 cusecs, while at Guddu Barrage, the inflow is 366,151 cusecs. At Sukkur Barrage, the water inflow is 329,990 cusecs, and at Kotri Barrage, the inflow is 245,000 cusecs with an outflow of 226,497 cusecs. In Sehwan, announcements are being made to evacuate riverine areas, and irrigation department officials have stated that work is ongoing at vulnerable sections of the embankments.
