MUZAFFARGARH, Pakistan (AP) — Rivers have risen to critical levels in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, leading to the evacuation of more than half a million individuals within a span of 24 hours, as per officials on Thursday. The total number of people displaced since the onset of flooding last month has reached a staggering 1.8 million, reported Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed. The situation remains dire, with mass evacuations continuing in flood-stricken districts including Muzaffargarh.
Among the most severely affected areas are Muzaffargarh and Multan, where flooding has submerged approximately 3,900 villages after the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers overflowed their banks two weeks ago. In response, the government has set up tents in Muzaffargarh, Narowal, and Kasur to accommodate families forced from their homes.
Residents of Muzaffargarh recounted the urgency and chaos of their evacuations, triggered by emergency flood warnings. Ghulam Abbas, a 54-year-old local, described the alert he received via mosque loudspeakers about an imminent flood surge, which prompted him and his family to seek safety rapidly. Abbas indicated that the floodwaters consumed his home overnight, stating, "Those who thought the waters wouldn’t reach them are now being rescued by boat."
Similarly, 33-year-old Zainab Akhtar, who experienced similar devastation during the floods of 2010, lamented, "Now it has happened again," as she and her family sought refuge in a government-provided tent. While Akhtar noted receiving some food assistance from charities and governmental relief, many survivors are reportedly depending on support from relatives to get by. In Kasur, locals mentioned receiving some aid from the government and charities distributing food.
Irfan Ali Kathia, the director general of the provincial Disaster Management Authority, announced that thousands of rescuers are presently engaged in relief and rescue efforts. The military has also been mobilized to aid in the transport of people and animals trapped in submerged villages. Kathia affirmed, "Supplies are on the way for the displaced people, and one of the largest rescue and relief operations is still ongoing." To further safeguard Muzaffargarh city, officials executed controlled breaches along the embankment of the Chenab river late Wednesday.
"Our priority is to save lives as this is the worst flooding in Punjab's history," Kathia emphasized, attributing the severe conditions to heavy monsoon rains exacerbated by water being released from dams in India. On Thursday, India dispatched an alert through diplomatic channels to Islamabad regarding potential cross-border flooding, marking the third such warning issued in just one week.
According to Javed, approximately 3.8 million people have been impacted by the ongoing flooding in Punjab, affecting those with property losses and overwhelming their villages. The National Disaster Management Authority issued a forecast indicating that the fresh spell of monsoon rains is likely to persist for the next 24 to 48 hours, raising concerns that floodwaters may flow into the Indus river, subsequently threatening areas in southern Sindh province.
The current flooding crisis is reported to be the worst since 2022, a year when climate-induced floods led to nearly 1,700 fatalities in Pakistan.
