Islamabad( Pakistan )August 28 (H.S.) : Monsoon fury has unleashed widespread devastation across Pakistan’s Punjab province, pushing all major rivers above the danger mark and throwing life into chaos. The raging waters of the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej have engulfed hundreds of villages, destroying crops, sweeping away livestock, and displacing thousands.
One of the worst-hit regions, Narowal district, has seen the revered Kartarpur Corridor completely submerged. The Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur—one of Sikhism’s holiest shrines—has remained under water for the past 24 hours, raising alarm across the global Sikh community. The army has been deployed across eight districts to assist with rescue and relief operations.
According to Pakistan’s leading Urdu daily Jang, the deluge has already claimed seven lives in the Gujranwala division, while torrential downpours in Sialkot have forced authorities to declare a state of emergency. Nearly 210,000 residents have been evacuated to higher ground, where temporary tents have been set up. Mosques continue to call for relief aid.
In a desperate attempt to protect the Qadirabad Headworks on the Chenab, authorities blew up two dams—one in Mandi Bahauddin and the other in Ali Pur Chattha, Gujranwala district. Experts warn that the next 48 hours are critical, with flood levels in both Ravi and Chenab rivers expected to rise further.
Civil Defense has issued high alerts, setting off sirens across vulnerable areas. At Shakargarh, a breach has opened up in the river embankment, while roads including Narowal Road and Shakargarh Highway are under water and closed to traffic. Rescue teams recently saved 21 stranded villagers from Jarmiyan Jhanda near Shakargarh.
Meanwhile, the Sutlej is also in full spate, with water discharge recorded at 245,000 cusecs at Ganda Singh Head. Elders in the region recall witnessing such a furious Ravi only 38 years ago.
The Kartarpur Corridor—opened in November 2019 ahead of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 550th birth anniversary—provides Indian Sikh pilgrims direct access to the shrine. Kartarpur itself was founded by Guru Nanak in 1504 on the Ravi’s banks, the very river that has now turned against it.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
