Nearly 1.5m people displaced in Punjab floods declared worst in last four decades

Lahore: The government has launched the largest displacement operation in recent years as nearly 1.46 million people across the province have been affected by floodwaters, with fears that water levels at Head Trimmu on the River Chenab could rise to dangerous heights.

At least 17 people have so far lost their lives due to severe flooding in the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers. The current deluge is being described as the worst in four decades, having devastated hundreds of villages and submerged vital grain crops.

At Qadirabad on the Chenab, the water flow has reached 305,436 cusecs. Fueled by torrential monsoon rains and the release of excess water from dams in India, the three rivers have swollen beyond capacity. In response, authorities have breached embankments at several points to divert the flow.

More than 1,400 villages are currently inundated, and officials have warned that in the next 48 hours, between 700,000 and 800,000 cusecs of water could surge through the Chenab, potentially causing large-scale destruction.

The displacement extends across numerous districts and towns, including Jhang, Shorkot, Khanewal, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Shujaabad, Jalalpur Pirwala, and Alipur.

Scope of destruction 

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), over 1.46 million people have been affected and 1,692 villages submerged due to severe flooding in the three rivers. So far, 17 deaths have been reported.

More than 265,000 people have been relocated to safer places, while 1,372 displaced persons are currently housed in 355 relief camps, and 6,656 have received medical assistance. In total, 90,348 people and 154,980 livestock have been moved to secure locations.

The Chenab has inundated 991 villages, including 395 in Sialkot, 127 in Jhang, 124 in Multan, 48 in Chiniot, 66 in Gujrat, 51 in Khanewal, 45 in Hafizabad, 41 in Sargodha, 35 in Mandi Bahauddin, and 19 in Wazirabad.

In the Ravi, 75 villages in Narowal, 4 in Sheikhupura, and 1 in Nankana Sahib have gone underwater, from where 11,000 people and 4,500 livestock have been evacuated to safety.

In the Sutlej, 361 villages have been affected, including 72 in Kasur, 86 in Okara, 24 in Pakpattan, 27 in Multan, 23 in Vehari, 104 in Bahawalnagar, and 25 in Bahawalpur. From these areas, over 127,000 people and 70,000 livestock have been shifted to safe locations.