Lahore, Murree and GB on alert as authorities prepare for floods, melting glaciers and water hazards
Vehicles move along a flooded road after monsoon rains and rising water levels in Sialkot, Punjab province, Pakistan, August 27, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS
LAHORE:
Authorities across Punjab and northern areas have stepped up preparations ahead of the monsoon season, with emergency plans finalized in Lahore, restrictions imposed on hazardous water bodies in Murree and new warnings issued about glacier-melt-related hazards in Gilgit-Baltistan.
A meeting chaired by Lahore Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Muhammad Ali Ejaz reviewed arrangements to deal with potential urban and river flooding in the coming monsoon season. Senior officials from the District Administration, Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL), Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), Rescue 1122, Irrigation Department and other relevant agencies attended the meeting.
Officials reviewed contingency plans for possible flooding and discussed the status of protective levees, drainage infrastructure and emergency measures. The Irrigation Department and RUDA briefed the participants on flood protection embankments, while WASA and MCL outlined ongoing drain cleaning and water diversion operations.
WASA informed the meeting that 617 dewatering facilities and 134 disposal stations were fully operational. MCL also presented a plan to keep 70 dewatering plants on high alert across the city’s nine administrative zones.
Rescue 1122 presented its water rescue and emergency response plan, while the Civil Defense said 139 trained volunteers were ready to respond to any emergency.
The district administration said continuous monitoring was underway along 38.95 miles of protective embankments in riverine areas. Security measures have also been implemented for 35 settlements along the Ravi River.
Authorities have earmarked 65 relief camps to provide immediate assistance to residents in all affected areas.
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The Deputy Commissioner directed all departments to implement preventive and administrative measures before the onset of monsoon rains. He also directed the District Emergency Control Room to remain operational round the clock and stressed close coordination among all agencies.
Separately, the Murree district administration imposed Section 144 on dangerous water bodies to prevent drowning incidents. A notice prohibited swimming, bathing and recreational activities at waterfalls, dams, streams and other dangerous bodies of water.
Public access has been restricted at Bansra Waterfall, Bansra Dam, Samli Dam and other identified locations. The administration said tighter security measures had been put in place following recent rainfall and a series of drowning incidents in which three young men lost their lives in different locations within a week.
Under Section 144, gatherings and water-based recreational activities have been banned for 30 days from June 6. Authorities warned that legal action would be taken against violators and urged tourists and residents to stay away from dangerous bodies of water.
The government has also advised people not to stay in dilapidated or structurally unsafe buildings during the monsoon season, warning that such structures can pose serious risks to human life during heavy rains.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued an alert to Hispar village in Nagar district, where the glacial melt has triggered river bank erosion and landslides. According to the warning, rising water levels associated with accelerated glacial melt have disrupted access beyond Nagar’s main chowk area.
The NDMA said rising temperatures have accelerated glacier melt in GB. Water flow and river levels continue to rise due to melting at the Hispar-Hopper glacier system, raising concerns about further erosion and landslides in vulnerable areas.
According to the latest forecasts, mainly hot and dry conditions are expected in most districts of Punjab on Sunday, with very hot weather likely in the southern parts of the province. Kashmir is expected to remain partly cloudy while isolated rain and gusty winds have affected parts of central Punjab and Kashmir during the last 24 hours.
