Lahore( Pakistan) Aug 27 (HS): Pakistan has deployed the army in six districts of Punjab province as surging river levels triggered fears of widespread flooding. Authorities began evacuating riverside villages and mounting large-scale relief operations after water from India’s Thien Dam on the Ravi River and heavy monsoon rains swelled major rivers overnight.
According to the Dawn newspaper, both the Chenab at Head Marala and the Ravi at Head Jassar crossed the danger level around 2 a.m. on Wednesday. Officials warned that two more barrages on the Chenab — Head Khanki and Head Qadirabad — may also breach critical thresholds within 24 hours, with fears that the Ravi could cause extensive damage in downstream areas.
Emergency has been declared in Lahore, Kasur, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Okara, and Narowal districts. In Kasur alone, 72 villages and about 45,000 residents have been affected. Across the Sutlej basin — including Pakpattan, Vehari, Bahawalnagar, and Bahawalpur — thousands more have been displaced.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported that more than 14,000 residents and 17,000 livestock have been relocated to safer areas. Rescue 1122 teams claimed to have evacuated over 28,000 people in five flood-hit districts. Relief supplies include 130 boats, 115 outboard motors, 500 rescue workers, 1,300 life jackets, and 1,600 tents mobilized by local authorities.
Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed also issued landslide alerts in Murree and the Galiyat hill ranges. Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik cautioned that climate-driven glacier melt is a deepening threat. Nearly 45 percent of Pakistan’s 7,500 glaciers are melting at accelerated rates, he said — warning that this year’s devastating floods are largely linked to glacial outbursts.
The monsoon season, expected to continue until September 10, has already claimed nearly 800 lives nationwide, underscoring the scale of Pakistan’s escalating climate and disaster crisis.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
