NAROWAL: Lives of the people in the district have changed dramatically as a result of the recent flooding in the River Ravi coupled with continuous rains that damaged the homes and fields for some and washed away a life-time of savings for others.

Bilqis Bibi (55) of Faizpur village, told Dawn that the flood washed away the joys of her daughter’s wedding. She said that her daughter was to get married in the mid of September and all the wedding preparations were in the final stages. She said, “I bought my daughter’s dowry with the money I had saved for many years for her wedding”. Now, she said that her house was also destroyed and the rains and flood had washed away her whole life.

For farmers, the floods not only destroyed their hard work for the whole year, but will have a long-lasting effect as it washed away seeds for the next crop.

Shoaib and Shaukat Ali said that their stored grain and fodder for the year had been washed away in the flooding.

They said that they had stored wheat and rice in their homes for their families along with seeds for the wheat crop and dry fodder for animals.

They said that all the wheat, rice, seeds and dry fodder for animals had been soaked and wasted because of the flood. On top of this, they said that electricity bills had increased their misery. “Now, we will have to beg for two meals a day,” they lamented.

While the floods took away a lot from the people, stories of heroic rescue efforts were shared by others. An 88-year-old elderly woman, a resident of Bint Rasool village of Faizpur, said the district administration and police made announcements in the mosques before the flood.

She said, “Our village was surrounded by the floodwater from three sides and four to five feet of water had entered our houses”. She said that the people of the village had to take shelter on the roofs of their houses as there was 10 to 15 feet of floodwater around the village.

The elderly woman said that a Rescue 1122 team immediately reached the spot when informed about the people being trapped in the flood. She said that the Rescue team took her down from the roof and shifted her to a safe place. The elderly woman lauded the courage of the Rescue 1122 team for saving her life.

Meanwhile, some areas have been disconnected because of the floods and seek the administration’s intervention. Abdu l Rahman, a resident of Faisipur village, said that the road connecting the city had been destroyed at three different places.

He said that fifteen days have passed, but the roads had not been fully restored. He also complained about the procedures adopted at the relief camps and said that he was suffering from fever and his feet were also injured. At the medical camp, he said that instead of giving him medicine, the doctor dismissed him by asking him to show his national identity card.

“Our houses and belongings are submerged in the flood, I don’t know where my national identity card is”.

Narowal Deputy Commissioner Syed Hassan Raza told Dawn that all departments were busy delivering relief to the flood-hit areas. He said the administration was working day and night to restore the roads and 70pc of the connective roads and bridges had already been restored. He said that medical camps were being set up in villages to facilitate the flood victims. He said that the supply of fodder for animals was one of the top priorities.

Residents have demanded the prime minister of Pakistan and the chief minister of Punjab to rehabilitate roads connecting the city to the villages, provide fodder for animals, ensure fuel for cooking food in homes and ensure provision of medical facilities in flood-affected areas.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2025