The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued an official flood alert, warning of a further surge in the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers. The critical situation is driven by heavy monsoon rainfalls and the release of water from India, expected to cause severe flooding. The authority has declared the flood situation in all three rivers as extremely dangerous.
The Chenab River is posing the most severe threat, flowing at an extremely high flood level of over 541,000 cusecs at Head Trimmu, with a massive flood wave of 600,000-700,000 cusecs expected at Head Muhammad Wala. The Sutlej and Ravi rivers are also at extremely high flood levels, recording flows of 253,000 cusecs and 148,000 cusecs at their respective heads. This has led to widespread devastation, with dozens of villages submerged, homes destroyed, and thousands of acres of cotton and other crops wiped out.
The human cost is rising sharply. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the death toll has reached 41. The disaster has profoundly impacted a population of over 2.4 million people across 3,129 villages. The Chenab River has been the most destructive, submerging 1,578 villages, followed by the Ravi (1,033 villages) and the Sutlej (518 villages), forcing the mass displacement of thousands.
In response to the catastrophe, authorities have launched an extensive relief operation. So far, 932,323 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas. The government and aid agencies have established 390 flood relief camps and 389 medical camps to provide shelter, food, and essential healthcare to the thousands of displaced families now residing in temporary relief centers.
