Flood devastation leaves dozens of areas in Punjab and Sindh submerged, hundreds of villages affected

Lahore /Multan Flood havoc continues to intensify across Punjab and Sindh as rivers overflow and protective embankments collapse, submerging vast stretches of farmland and displacing thousands of families.

The surging waters of the Chenab, Sutlej and Indus rivers have swept through dozens of villages, destroying crops spread over thousands of acres. Several protective embankments in Minchinabad, Shujaabad, Bahawalpur, Alipur, Khairpur Pacca and Ahmedpur East have given way, forcing mass evacuations in the affected areas.

The second surge of floodwater struck Panjnad Barrage late at night when the flow crossed 700,000 cusecs around 2 a.m. On Friday, the recorded inflow was 665,576 cusecs. Federal Minister Dr. Musadik Malik assured that the government is on high alert and that all relevant agencies have been mobilized to tackle the crisis.

In Minchinabad’s Laleka locality, two young men drowned after their boat capsized. Their bodies were later recovered from Basti Mamoonka. Locals claimed that delays in the rescue operation caused unnecessary loss of life.

The raging Chenab broke through embankments at Shujaabad and Dhondo, inundating over 138 settlements. An 80-foot-wide breach at Dhondo claimed the lives of laborers trying to seal it, as three were swept away; two were rescued while one remains missing.

Floodwater has completely drowned sugarcane, cotton, rice and vegetable fields across the river belt along the Punjab-Sindh border. Villages including Santeka, Yasin Ka, Aakoka Hathaṛ and Sahoka have been cut off from nearby towns, leaving locals to attempt reinforcing embankments with their own limited resources.

In Alipur, Muzaffargarh, a violent clash erupted between two groups over the diversion of floodwater. According to police, the confrontation began when one side attempted to channel water from their area into another, leading to a fight in which sticks and batons were freely used.

After wreaking havoc across Punjab, the floodwaters have advanced into Sindh. In Kashmore’s katcha belt, residents are being evacuated by boats, while some in Dadu have refused to vacate their homes despite warnings. Authorities have raised alarm over the rapidly rising water levels in the Indus River.

Meanwhile, the Irrigation Department has reported that continuous rainfall has raised Hub Dam’s water level to 338 feet, warning that additional inflows could create a dangerous situation. People living along Hub Nadi, along with stone-crushing plant operators, have been advised to relocate workers and machinery to safe areas.

At Guddu Barrage, a medium flood persisted for the sixth consecutive day, with water inflows recorded at 512,662 cusecs and outflows at 480,455 cusecs, leaving many riverside villages submerged.

The ongoing flood emergency across Pakistan’s two largest provinces has already displaced thousands of families and inflicted heavy damage on agriculture. Experts caution that without urgent and effective measures, the scale of human and economic losses may rise significantly in the days ahead.