Floods displace thousands as South Punjab rivers overflow
• Fresh spell of torrential rains forecast across the country
• PDMA issues high-alert warning for Punjab
• Tarbela Dam is at maximum capacity; Mangla Dam is 74pc full
LAHORE / RAWALPINDI: Thousands of families in south Punjab have been displaced as floods caused by overflowing Indus and Chenab rivers have destroyed homes, crops and farmland.
Districts including Layyah, Taunsa Sharif, Kot Addu, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur and Multan are among the worst affected.
In Multan, floodwaters entered several villages, destroying crops and mango orchards. In Kot Adu, residents of Ehsanpur and Hinjrai union councils were forced to evacuate along with their livestock.
“Houses are surrounded by water, crops have vanished and land is eroding,” a rescue official told Dawn on condition of anonymity, adding that his team had evacuated over 150 people and their cattle by boat.
In Layyah, floodwaters washed away roads connected to the Layyah-Taunsa bridge, breaching the protective bunds. Residents of multiple union councils in Layyah and Taunsa have fled their homes, many now living under the open sky. At Head Taunsa, water flows have reached 500,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs), threatening downstream areas of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur.
Jampur tehsil has also been devastated, with villages such as Shero Jadu, Jakhar Imam Shah, Lundi Pitafi and Qabool Chowk submerged. Residents said they lost homes and crops without receiving any government assistance. “We have to leave on our own with our cattle,” said Khalil Malik, a resident of Jampur.
In Muzaffargarh, floodwaters breached locally built bunds in Jatoi and Alipur tehsils, forcing residents to evacuate. Entire villages near Khairpur, Basti Laskani and Kehal have been abandoned.
Fresh spell of rains
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast another spell of heavy monsoon rains from Aug 23, warning of torrential downpours, wind and thunderstorms in the upper and central parts of the country until Aug 27, followed by heavy rains in Sindh and eastern and southern Balochistan from Aug 27 to 29.
According to the Met Office, strong monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are expected to penetrate the country’s upper regions from Aug 22, with a westerly wave likely to approach the same night.
Under the influence of these meteorological conditions, widespread rain, wind and thundershower (with scattered heavy falls) are expected in Azad Kashmir (Neelum valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur) and rain, wind and thundershowers (with isolated heavy falls) in Gilgit-Baltistan (Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche, Shigar) from Aug 23 to Aug 27 with occasional gaps.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, widespread rain, wind and thundershower (with scattered heavy falls) are expected in Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, Mohmand, Kohat, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, Hangu, Karak, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Waziristan, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan from Aug 23 to 26.
Similar weather is expected in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Mianwali, Khushab, Sargodha, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Nankana Sahib, Chiniot, Faisalabad and Sahiwal from Aug 23 to 27 with occasional gaps.
Scattered rain, wind and thundershower (with isolated heavy falls) are also likely in D.G. Khan, Bhakkar, Layyah, Multan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rajanpur and Rahimyar Khan from Aug 24 to Aug 27.
In Sindh, rain, wind and thundershowers are expected in Mithi, Tharparkar, Umerkot and Mirpurkhas from the evening or night of Aug 23 to Aug 26 with occasional gaps.
In Balochistan, similar weather is expected in Barkhan, Musakhel, Loralai, Sibbi, Zhob, Kalat and Khuzdar from Aug 23 (evening or night) to Aug 26.
The PMD has warned of flash floods in streams and nullahs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northern Punjab, Islamabad, Murree, Galliyat and Kashmir between Aug 23 and 26. Urban flooding is likely in low-lying areas of Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Peshawar, Nowshera and Mardan. Landslides and mudslides are also feared in hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree and Kashmir.
The Met Office has urged authorities to remain on high alert and advised citizens, tourists and travellers to avoid unnecessary exposure in vulnerable areas. It warned that strong winds, heavy falls and lightning may damage weak structures, electric poles, billboards, vehicles and solar panels.
PDMA issues high alert
Separately, the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a high-alert warning across the province as increased water flows, fuelled by glacial melt and ongoing rains, threaten several districts.
According to the PDMA, medium-level flooding is reported at Taunsa Barrage on the Indus, while Chashma and Kalabagh are experiencing low-level flooding. On the Sutlej River, Ganda Singh Wala and Bed Sulemanki are under low-level flood stage, with the Pulkhu and Basantar streams also affected.
PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said Tarbela Dam has reached 100 per cent capacity and Mangla Dam is 74pc full, raising concerns of further water releases into already swollen rivers.
“Citizens living in riverbeds should immediately relocate to safe areas,” DG Kathia warned, urging people to comply with evacuation orders and avoid recreational activities near rivers. He stressed that bathing in rivers, canals and ponds is strictly prohibited and parents must not allow children near water bodies.
While water flows in the Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi rivers remain normal, the PDMA cautioned that the situation could worsen rapidly. “Protecting lives and property is our paramount responsibility,” DG Kathia said, calling for vigilance and immediate action from communities in at-risk areas.
Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2025
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