Bahawalnagar/Lahore/PoJK [Pakistan], September 3 (ANI): Pakistan is facing a worsening humanitarian and environmental crisis as floodwaters from the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers have inundated vast areas of Punjab, destroying homes, crops, and infrastructure, while communities in Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) warn that poor planning and illegal construction are heightening their disaster vulnerability.
In Bahawalnagar district, a high flood in the Sutlej River has wreaked havoc, submerging more than 100 villages and displacing thousands, according to ARY News. Strong currents have triggered severe erosion, breaching protective embankments at Motianwala Pattan, Moza Azeem, Chaweka, and Bahadurka. Hundreds of houses were destroyed, nearly 10,000 acres of crops swept away, and key roads washed out, cutting off access to several settlements. Officials confirmed that more than 150,000 cusecs of water is flowing in from Head Sulemanki, intensifying the flood situation. Rescue teams, led by local police, reported that over 80 per cent of residents and livestock had been shifted to safer areas, though water levels continue to rise dangerously under Baba Farid Bridge and Bhookan Pattan Bridge.
Meanwhile, across southern Punjab, the scale of devastation is mounting. According to Dawn, over 529,000 people have been evacuated from Multan division, including more than 350,000 from Multan district alone, with mass displacements also reported in Khanewal, Vehari, Lodhran, and Muzaffargarh. Authorities initially set up 25 relief camps, later expanded to 90, but many displaced families allege that food, water, and medical supplies remain grossly inadequate. At one Basic Health Unit, just two washrooms were serving more than 2,000 people, and children have begun falling ill due to contaminated water.
Residents in Shujaabad and Jalalpur accused officials of coercion during evacuations, with some alleging threats from police to force compliance. Makeshift camps lack electricity, sanitation, and mosquito control, worsening already dire conditions. In Burewala, Sahoka, and Kamalia, breaches in roads and embankments have isolated dozens of villages, forcing residents to rely on makeshift boats. Agricultural losses are severe, with thousands of acres of rice, cotton, and maize destroyed. In Kamalia alone, 80 villages were submerged, and 60,000 people were displaced.
The crisis has been compounded by heavy monsoon rains and the release of water from Indian dams, including Thein and Salal. On August 31, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab had issued an “exceptionally high flood” warning for the Chenab River, warning of a massive flood wave likely to reach Head Marala within days.
Adding to Pakistan’s vulnerability, officials in Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) are warning that unchecked illegal construction and weak drainage systems are exacerbating disaster risks. Khalid Mahmood Mirza, an official in PoJK, said unregulated urban expansion along natural water channels is multiplying the risk of urban flooding. “When natural water channels are encroached upon, the risk of urban flooding multiplies,” he warned, stressing the need for comprehensive urban planning.
Mirza also pointed to the lingering scars of past calamities, recalling the devastating 2005 earthquake that killed nearly 46,000 people. “Even today, around 150,000 children in the region are still waiting for proper school buildings and safe roofs,” he noted, highlighting how limited resources and recurring floods, cloudbursts, and landslides have stalled recovery.
As thousands across Punjab and PoJK remain stranded or in relief camps, officials and civil society voices are calling for urgent, coordinated relief efforts alongside long-term investment in disaster resilience. “If drainage systems are upgraded, illegal encroachments removed, and resources allocated wisely, we can reduce future losses and protect the lives of our people,” Mirza stressed. (ANI)
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