Rescue operations underway as Punjab braces for ‘exceptionally high’ flood in Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej

ISLAMABAD: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Rescue 1122, and other departments are continuing rescue and evacuation operations across several districts of Punjab, as the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers face “exceptionally high flood“.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued an unprecedented flood emergency due to a combination of heavy rains on the upper catchment areas of rivers and India’s decision to release water from two dams.

Rescue 1122 Punjab, in a recent statement, said that so far, 32,589 people have been successfully evacuated from flood-affected areas of Punjab to safer places.

“Despite the devastation of the floods, our teams worked day and night to save thousands of lives,” the statement reads.

Current water flow of rivers

According to the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) Lahore data, as of the latest reading, a very high flood of 512,885 cusecs is passing through the River Chenab at Marala, with the falling trend of water inflow.

River Chenab at the Qadirabad and Khanki headworks are in “exceptionally high flood” with outflow of 963,825 and 1,052,100 cusec, respectively.

In an emergency alert, NDMA reported a severe flood situation in Chenab at Khanki Headworks as the water flow has exceeded the designed capacity of 8 lakh cusecs.

“Due to the severe flood surge, the hydraulic structure of the headworks may sustain damage,” NDMA stated.

Ravi at Jassar and Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala were in an “exceptionally high flood” condition, according to the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD).

An exceptionally high flood of 222,780 cusecs is passing through the Ravi at Jassar, which may rise to 229,700 cusecs, and 79,160 cusecs at Shahdara in Lahore, posing flood risk to low-lying areas.

In the River Sutlej, an exceptionally high flood of 253,068 cusecs persists at Ganda Singh Wala, while 100,355 cusecs are recorded at Sulemanki.

The headworks of Chashma, Taunsa, Guddu, Sukkur, and Kotri on the Indus River were in “low” flood as of the last update at 6 am. Islam Headworks on the Sutlej River was also in low flood with an inflow of 54,656 cusec at 12 am.

Furthermore, the River Jhelum at Mangla Dam and Rasul Barrage is flowing normally with no threat of flood.

Qadirabad Barrage breach

In a move to protect the Qadirabad Barrage, the authorities used explosives to carry out a breach on the right marginal embankment from the Mandi Bahuddin side.

Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that the water flow reached 1 million cusecs, causing exceptionally high flood at Qadirabad.

Following the breach, the floodwater submerged the nearby villages of Mandi Bahuddin.

NDMA, in coordination with civil and military institutions, has urged residents along riverbanks and waterways to immediately move to safer places, strictly follow local administration’s instructions, contact rescue teams in emergencies, and avoid all unnecessary travel in flood-hit areas, state-run APP reported.

Pakistan Army called in

As the situation worsened, the Punjab government called the Pakistan Army to engage to assist civil authorities in dealing with the flood situation in seven districts of the province.

The army has been called in Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Narowal, Okara, and Sargodha to carry out rescue and relief operations, the Punjab Home Department said.

Several areas, including Kasur and Ganda Singh Wala along the Sutlej River, have been inundated. In Kasur, 72 villages and 45,000 residents have been affected.

Relief camps for the affected population have been established jointly by the Pakistan Army and the district administration, it reported.

The PDMA said it had also mobilised 130 boats, 115 outboard motors, 500 rescue workers, 1,300 life jackets, and 1,600 tents.

On Wednesday morning, around 200 to 300 people were stranded in floodwater at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, a Sikh religious site, in Kartarpur in Narowal district.

In coordination with the local administration, Army troops are working to evacuate the stranded people, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

Taking on X, State Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Kheeal Das Kohistani, said that authorities are making every effort to rescue the pilgrims and staff at Baba Guru Nanak Kartarpur Corridor.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) report on Wednesday stated that at least two people lost their lives in the past 24 hours due to flash floods in Punjab.

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