SAHIWAL: As water levels in the Ravi and Sutlej rivers surged, the district administrations of Okara, Pakpattan, and Sahiwal have put the line departments, including Rescue 1122, health and police, etc, on high alert, besides activating and upgrading their emergency rescue and relief plans.

Okara district faces a dual threat from both rivers, while Pakpattan and Sahiwal are respectively impacted by the Sutlej and Ravi.

According to officials, in the past 24 hours, some 20,000 residents of flood-hit areas along the river Sutlej in Pakpattan district have voluntarily evacuated to safer locations, leaving behind submerged crops and damaged property.

They say that the river Sutlej flowing at 125,000 cusecs at Baba Farid Bridge, which connects Pakpattan with Minchinabad, poses a serious threat to surrounding settlements.

Sutlej flows at 125,000 cusecs at Baba Farid Bridge; hundreds of villages inundated

According to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, over 25,000 acres of agricultural lands have been submerged in the district.

He says that rescuers using 24 Rescue 1122 boats have successfully evacuated more than 7,000 people and 1,200 livestock heads.

So far, over 100 villages and settlements (Bastis) and Mozas have been inundated by floodwaters, including Balara Lakhoka, Bilara Dilawar, Madhu Farid Shah, Balara Ajunkay, Balara Hasanky, Arjunky, Bilari

Qasooria, Kund Qabil, Chak Ameera Ahloka, Kund Sadoo, Hayder Malkana, Kund Nain Singh, Kund Malkey, Sohara, Malkey Tarookay, Behla, Kot Buksha, Qadoos, Kund Kanjwana, Mari Anb Rakh, Feroz Pur, Kund Mahar Kalan, Arazi Jinda Karam, Basti Gadai Shah, Basti Jasokay Bhani, Basti Kasuriya, and others.

Though the Pakpattan administration has not officially confirmed any breaches, local sources say that embankments have been breached at Soda Rehmani, Naqvi Shah Bijli Wala Band, and Village Bakarhay 5KB.

Pakpattan DC Asif Raza, told Dawn that relief services are being increased with the rise in floodwaters.

In Sahiwal district, the river Ravi flow surged to 145,000 cusecs at Shaderhra, with floodwaters continuing to encroach upon crops and settlements.

Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Pir Imran Shah, visited the Dad Baloch area to oversee relief efforts and assess land erosion. Officials say that around 1,000 acres of agricultural land have been affected by the floodwaters, while Rescue 1122 boats have so far rescued 700 persons and 670 animals.

They say that the most-affected villages include Murada Dulo, Noran Sanpal, Bongha Bahawala, Bongha Shahamand, Murad K Kathia, Sher Khanana etc.

They say that in a late-night operation at Dad Baloch, Rescue 1122 teams evacuated ten members of a family, including children and women, along with eight animals, who got stranded due to a sudden surge in Ravi’s flow. The family had contacted the DC office helpline, they added.

Sahiwal DC Shahid Mahmood and Faisalabad DC retired Capt Nadeem Nasir conducted a joint inspection of the flood-hit villages near Qutab Shahna Bridge, situated on the border of the districts.

Sources say that a river embankment leaked at Aurangabad, which locals managed to plug on a self-help basis.

In Okara, eyewitnesses confirmed that Sutlej floodwaters have entered Khoya Jamil, Jamsheer Mohar, Pana Mohar, and Sabu Mohar in Basirpur and Haveli Lakha. Rescue teams evacuated 3,142 individuals from the flood-hit areas in the Okara district. However, residents of several locations complained of delays in the arrival of rescue boats.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2025