Lahore – Punjab has officially been declared a disaster-impacted state as the province endures the worst flooding crisis since 2022.
The monsoon rains, together with the discharge of upstream water by neighboring India, have resulted in the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers flooding to dangerous levels, displacing almost 1.8 million people and impacting an estimated 3.8 million inhabitants in the 3,900 flooded villages.
A huge rescue and relief mission is underway by the authorities, which are struggling against time as a new wave of heavy rainfall is predicted to aggravate the already bleak situation.
Dire Humanitarian Situation
Approximately 300,000 individuals have been evacuated within the last 48 hours alone in flood-threatened regions. The latest evacuations, according to Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed, have raised the total number of persons displaced since the previous month to 1.8 million.
The worst-affected areas include Muzaffargarh and Multan, where there is a two-fold danger due to rising water levels in the Chenab River and the backwater effect on the Ravi. Authorities have gone to the extent of controlled breaches along river embankments in a desperate effort to defend cities.
The humanitarian situation on the ground is extremely challenging as the government and military continue one of the largest rescue operations in the history of the province. The displaced people are estimated at 40, 000 and most of the survivors have chosen to remain close to their homes because of poor conditions.
“There are no livable facilities in the camps,” he said. “Food isn’t delivered on time, and we are treated like beggars.”
Both government and NGOs are engaged in relief efforts, feeding, sheltering, and providing medical aid, but the demand is much greater than the supply.
Punjab CM’s visit
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had toured the flood relief camps in Multan and instructed the district administrations to determine the extent of the damage caused by the floods.
She instructed the deputy commissioners to survey the flood-affected regions and also offer clean drinking water. She also ordered the use of fumigation and dry germicidal sprays at the flood relief camps and tent cities in the flood-affected regions.
Agricultural Damage
About 3.75 lakh acres of agricultural land, mainly paddy fields, are still submerged, which is a big blow just a few weeks before harvest. This has greatly affected the lives of rural families that rely on farming and animal rearing.
Further Flood Warnings
The monsoon season has been particularly severe this year, and Punjab has received 26.5 percent more rainfall (July-August) than it received last year.
The concurrent high-level discharge of the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers is not a frequent phenomenon, and the three rivers have not reached these levels at a time in 38 years. India has given a warning to Pakistan via diplomatic channels on the release of water in its overflowing dams.
The situation is highly volatile as the monsoon season is likely to continue till the end of September, and new rainfall is predicted. The National Disaster Management Authority has cautioned that further release of water by Indian dams would only aggravate the floods and may even affect the southern Sindh province.
