Lahore:
Authorities were locked in a tough fight Thursday to save Lahore from the rolling Ravi as flooding water swelled to dangerous levels in Shahdara and Balloki main works that threatened the city’s outskirts and nearby villages.
With more than a million people displaced and at least 22 people killed throughout the province, the situation has grown to one of the worst flooding exemptions in recent years and constituted a serious test for the administration and all its institutions.
As authorities fought in the wake of catastrophic floods, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned that continued rainfall could aggravate flooding conditions along Rivers Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab for the next 48 hours.
“People should immediately contact local authorities and rescue officials in emergencies,” NDMA said, adding that emergency relief operations were underway and were closely monitored. “All institutions ensure readiness to deal with any crisis.”
In Lahore, a 24-hour monitoring of vulnerable points continued from Ravi as Strømme touched 219.770 CUSSCS in Shahdara, while Balloki registered 117,490 cussic and rising-ties that forced the administration to reject “critically guard.”
The extent of destruction elsewhere emphasized the challenge. According to Rescue 1122 officials, 22 people have lost their lives in flood-related incidents over the past few days.
Authorities reported that 263 emergency aid had been created with 365 rescue tasks performed to date. Helicopters and boats were mobilized to the most inaccessible areas.
The dead were spread across several districts. In Gujrat, three children drowned after a dam collapsed. In Sialkot, five members of a single family perished when their house was swept away.
Further injuries were reported from Gujranwala, Hafizabad and Narowal, raised rivers and Nullah’s bread through protective dives. Officials warned that the death could climb when rescue teams gained access to cut -off villages.
Among Punjab’s rivers, Chenab carried the heaviest burden. In Qadirabad’s main works, the inflow peaked on an extraordinary 996,000 CUSSCS – well over Barrage’s design capacity of 800,000 CUSSCS.
To prevent total collapse, the authorities deliberately violated protective piles near Mandi Bahauddin and Ali Pur Chatha and derived flooding water in agricultural channels to relieve the pressure on the structure.
At Khanki, the influx of 859,000 CUSSCS and flooded dozens of villages along the shore affected. Thousands of hectares of standing crops were immersed, leaving farmers destroyed only weeks before the harvest.
The residents described desperate escapes as they abandoned livestock and possessions to the water. Trimmu, further downstream, registered nearly 99,000 CUSERCS and remained stable, although officials said any new wave could overwhelm low -lying dams.
Sutlej, raised by continuous rain and heavy streams from all over the border, added to the evil of the province. At Sulemanki -Headwork, the flows rose to 113,124 CUSERCS, while the river at Islam Headworks wore 54,756 CUSSCS.
Temporary dives in Kasur, Pakpattan and Bahawalnagar collapsed under the pressure, flooded agricultural land and forced hundreds of families to evacuate overnight, local villagers said.
They reported to use tractor trucks and provisional fleets to move the elderly, children and livestock to higher soil. Many complained about inadequate relief and said that the speed of rising water had left them a little more than the clothes they were wearing.
In Multan, officials warned that flooding water was approaching the city as massive inflow moves downstream. To divert Chenab’s pressure, violations were made by protective dikes near the head Muhammadwala, where officials confirm that 60% of residents of endangered areas have been evacuated.
In Narang Mandi, dozens of villages have been cut off, while river water in Sheikhupura’s Sharaqpur Sharif has reached levels that have not been seen since 1988. In Wazirabad, Nullah Palkhu flooded, flooding villages and low -lying neighborhoods.
Sialkot International Airport was temporarily closed after flooding water reached its premises. Pakistan International Airlines announced that flights were redirected to Lahore.
Residents of Arifwala Tehsil said flooding water entered home after Ravi and Sutlej converged and pushed the influx close to 100,000 CUSSCS. Officials said that more than 600,000 people have been affected over Punjab, with hundreds of villages underwater.
Ravi remained in focus of urgent concern. At Jassar it wore 99,470 CUSERCS, while the floats at Ravi Siphon touched at 220,627 CUSSCS. Downstream at Shahdara reached the 219,770 cussus and continued stable and threatened northern edges of Lahore.
Authorities said dams had been reinforced with stone height, while machines were placed to connect violations if they took place.
Officials also reported that Sidhnai -headwork, further south, registered 25,743 CUSERCS and rising. Although less severe than the levels of upstream, the increase was the risk of districts already weakened by previous rain.
Narowal faced serious destruction as agricultural land and settlements were submerged by Torrents from Ravi and affiliated Nullahs. Shakargarh-Narowal Road was made unacceptable and cut off access to several tehsils.
Flooding water reached railway tracks near Qila Ahmadabad, suspended train services on the Narowal-Sialkot route. Local accounts described scenes with panic as villages were evacuated in a hurry, with many residents wading the breast deep through water carrying bundles of food or leading buffaloes in safety.
Officials warned that the father was far from past. The meteorological department predicts heavy rain and thunderstorms across the country, including the central and northern Punjab over the next 48 hours.
NDMA issued a warning after the MET Department’s forecast for widespread rain and thunderstorms across the country from August 29 to September 2, warning of possible flooding and landslides in several regions.
According to NDMA, northern and northeastern districts in Punjab, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Narowal, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin, are probably witnessing heavy rain on August 30 and 31, August, raising concerns.
The central and southern Punjab is also expected to receive rainfall from August 29 to 31, with low -lying areas at risk of flooding. Districts including Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Layyah, Bhakkar, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan can experience flood -like conditions.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, heavy rain is expected from 29 to 31 August.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) area, including Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Haveli, Kotli, Mirpur and Bhimber, can have intense rain between August 29 and September 2 with landslides a potential threat.
In Gilgit-Baltistan, heavy rainfall is expected from August 29 to 31, with authorities warning of landslides and the risk of flooding of Glacial Lake (GLOF) in districts, including Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, Diamer, Astore, Ghizer and Ghanche.
Sindh’s coastal districts, including Karachi, Thatatta, Sujawal, Badin and Tharparkar, are expected to receive heavy rain between August 30 and September 2. NDMA warned that Karachi is facing the risk of urban flooding due to potential rainfall.
Other Sindh districts, including Hyderabad, Dadu, Sukkur, Ghotki, Larkana, Jacobabad and Kashmore, could also witness stormy rain between August 30 and September 1.
In Balochistan, coastal and eastern districts such as Gwadar, Kech, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Lasbela and Kalat are likely to be hit by rain from August 29 to September 1 with the possibility of flooding in low-lying areas.
Rescue teams have been placed on a high alarm in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Southern Punjab districts. Authorities urged residents of low -lying areas to follow evacuation orders immediately. “Life is more important than property,” said an official, appealing to villagers who are reluctant to abandon the livestock.
Despite extensive mobilization, the pure scale of flood has stretched resources. With 263 camps that are already functional, district administrations are fighting to provide sufficient shelter, food and medical assistance to displaced families.
In Narowal alone, hundreds sought refuge in schools and mosques transformed into temporary shelters. In Sialkot, residents complained about a lack of drinking water and medicine.
Helicopter varies dropped lunches in areas inaccessible along the way. Both ferry people across flooded expanses in Hafizabad and Gujranwala, while provisional fleets were seen on village tracks.
Auxiliary Commissioner Nabeel Javed admitted that the challenge was “monumental”, but said coordinated efforts of civil administration, rescue 1122, and the army held injuries lower than feared.
Long road in front
Even when the water level fell marginally in Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad major works on Thursday night, experts warned that the postponement could be temporary. With Monsun still active and influx across the border continues, Rivers could rise again.
Farmers in the affected areas said that rehabilitation would take months, if not years, with houses destroyed, livestock lost and fields buried under the silt. Officials say that the extent of the damage would only be known after water was withdrawn.
For Lahore, the Battle of Shahdara and Balloki remained decisive. Authorities insisted that there would be that dams would hold, but emergency plans were in place if Ravi pushed further into the city.
Officials said that floods in Chenab, Sutlej and Ravi Rivers have destroyed nearly 1,400 villages and displaced more than 1.2 million people. The next 48 hours, they added, would be crucial to determining whether Punjab’s largest city escapes disaster.
(With input from agencies)
