Islamabad – Pakistan is currently facing significant flooding due to ongoing monsoon rains and swollen rivers, creating a fresh wave of disaster throughout the nation. In the last 48 hours alone, officials have issued serious flood alerts, leading to mass evacuations and emergency relief efforts, especially in Punjab, the eastern province.

Severe Flooding and Evacuations in Punjab

The situation in Punjab is critical right now as major rivers are hitting ‘very high’ to ‘exceptionally high’ flood levels. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) have put out urgent alerts, especially for the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers.

On Tuesday, Pakistan reported that the risk of high floods has spiked due to heavy rainfall combined with India’s decision to release water from two of its dams, the Thein Dam on the Ravi River and the Madhopur Dam.

This release of water is raising fears of further flooding in Punjab, a crucial agricultural area that houses about half of the country’s 240 million people. Officials are calling the situation ‘grave,’ and they warn that the next couple of days will be critical.

In the last 48 hours, over 150,000 individuals have been evacuated from low-lying, vulnerable spots, with Kasur and Bahawalnagar being among the most severely affected districts.

The army is involved in rescue and relief operations. Relief camps and medical facilities have been set up to help those displaced, and efforts are ongoing to reach people who are still stuck.

Flash Floods and Compensation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Like Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) provinces are also recovering after experiencing fatal flash floods and glacial lake outbursts.

As the monsoon season began in June, more than 400 deaths have already occurred in KP alone.

In response to the tragedy, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has given authorities 6 days to make sure they manage to deliver compensation to the affected families. Farmlands covering large areas and vital infrastructure have been washed away, and thousands of households have been damaged, with many people coming out as displaced.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, a major glacial lake outburst led to land clearing and the formation of a large, unstable lake isolating residents in the Ghizer district. Experts fear that this lake might have an eruption at any time, and this eruption may cause a disastrous flood downstream.

A Wider Crisis and Future Strategies

This has been a very severe monsoon season, with the number of deaths in the whole of Pakistan being more than 800 since the end of June. This year, the NDMA has observed that rainfall has been 50 percent more than in the same duration last year.

According to experts, climate change is often considered one of the reasons here, with visible changes in monsoon patterns and the rapid meltdown of the 7,000 glaciers found in Pakistan.

Authorities are warning that the rains being experienced in the current monsoon season are likely to extend up to the middle of September, creating more fears that the situation will be aggravated.

To counter the crisis, the government has already released emergency funds, and international organizations like the United Nations have started releasing aid packages to aid in relief efforts.

The next few days will be decisive as authorities attempt to protect lives and property against the imminent danger of further downpour and floods.