NAROWAL, Pakistan (AP) — Rescuers in boats are racing to reach stranded families in Pakistan's populous eastern Punjab province after three major rivers burst their banks due to heavy rainfall and the release of water from overflowing dams in neighboring India. The floods have displaced nearly 250,000 people, affecting over 1 million individuals, with extensive destruction of crops and businesses, leaving many unable to evacuate their homes.
At least 15 fatalities were reported in Gujranwala district and surrounding villages a day prior, according to local police. Meteorologists have predicted more rainfall on Friday following a two-day halt, with expectations of continued precipitation into the following week.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, senior minister of Punjab province, noted that the floods impacted 1,432 villages along the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers, significantly affecting approximately 1.2 million people. She reported that about 248,000 individuals have been displaced, while 700 relief and 265 medical camps have been established in the disaster-affected areas, providing essential supplies to those in need.
Since late June, floods in Pakistan have claimed over 800 lives. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described Pakistan as “among the countries most vulnerable to natural disasters,” ranking it among the top ten nations affected by climate change. He emphasized the ongoing trend of such disasters and the importance of preparedness, announcing plans to construct more water storage facilities to manage future floods.
In the Jammu region of Indian-controlled Kashmir, extraordinary August rains have triggered flash floods and landslides, severely impacting two Hindu pilgrimage routes in the Himalayas. Thousands of individuals have been evacuated, with at least 115 deaths and many injuries reported as homes are submerged and infrastructure damaged.
This crisis marks the first instance in 38 years that the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers have entered high flood stage simultaneously, prompting intensified rescue operations across various districts, according to the provincial irrigation department. While many families await government assistance, Zainab Bibi, 54, shared that her family had to wait two days on the rooftop of their home for a rescue boat, admitting she underestimated the flood risk despite the government's earlier warnings.
Farmer Mohammad Saleem, 47, recounted how floods from across the Indian border overwhelmed his home in Narowal district, leading to the loss of his family’s belongings, including his wife Kaneez Bibi's dowry meant for their daughter's wedding scheduled for November.
Punjab province initiated mass evacuations earlier in the week due to the combination of heavier-than-usual monsoon rains and water releases from Indian dams that led to flash floods in low-lying border regions. In a statement, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif credited “timely evacuations” for saving lives, emphasizing that advance preparations and the demolition of illegal structures along waterways helped mitigate casualties in what officials describe as the worst flood emergency in decades.
Sharif urged that no displaced individual should lack food or medical assistance in the flood-stricken areas, and instructed officials to take measures to prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases among those affected. Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, during a visit to Narowal, accused India of intentionally releasing excess water from its dams without timely notifications, suggesting a violation of a key water treaty, and labeled it as “water aggression.”
There was no immediate response from New Delhi regarding these accusations. Floodwaters also inundated the Guru Nanak shrine near the Indian border, but rescuers managed to evacuate staff and pilgrims quickly.
In 2022, catastrophic floods linked to climate change resulted in the death of nearly 1,700 people in Pakistan, emphasizing the ongoing vulnerability of the region to natural disasters exacerbated by climatic changes.
