• To be deployed in the districts of Lahore, Faisalabad, Kasur, Sialkot, Nanowal and Okara
• Chenab, Ravi hit ‘Exceptionally high flood’; Sutlej in ‘Very High Flood’
• Authorities on red alert; Urgent evacuations ordered throughout the province
• The NDMA chief warns almost half of the country’s glaciers that melt at an accelerated rhythm
• The prime minister says that Pakistan cannot address the climatic crisis only
Lahore / Islamabad: The Punjab government has called the Army in six districts to help civil authorities in rescue and relief operations, since the province faces an unprecedented flood emergency due to a combination of heavy rains and India’s decision to release waters from two dams.
Both Pakistan and India have been devastated by intense monsoon rains and floods in recent weeks. The Provincial Authority for Disaster Management (PDMA) said Tuesday night that India had opened all the doors of its prey in the Ravi River.
The announcement occurred a day after Pakistan received a second warning from India that was intended to release water from the Madhopur dam that fills rapidly, Reuters reported. Both dams are located on the Ravi River, which flows from Punjab Indio to Pakistan.
At the same time, heavy rains in the upper areas of capture of the Chenab River have swollen downstream flows, which puts thousands of citizens at risk. The Sutlej River is also reaching alarming levels and registering catastrophic discharges.
At 2 in the morning on Wednesday, it was declared that the Chenab At Head Marala and the Ravi at Chief Jassar were in a condition of “exceptionally high flood”, with exits exceeding 900,000 and 200,000 cubic feet per second (CUSECs), respectively.
Authorities have warned that Chief Khanki and Chief Qadirabad in Chenab can also reach exceptionally high flood levels within the next 24 hours due to strong persistent rains in the upper river basins.
The Khanki head in the Chenab and the head Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej River were placed in the “very high flood” category, registering departures of 426,578 and 245,236 Cusecs, respectively.
The authorities fear that the Ravi River can inflict the most widespread damage, since unlike Chenab, which is a river that flows, the Ravi is now largely dry for most of the year, particularly the section that flows towards Pakistan. The sudden water release of India has caused emergency evacuations in several districts, including Lahore and Kasur.
In Kasur, 72 villages and 45,000 residents have been affected. Tens of thousands have been impacted in the Sutlej basin, including Pakpattan, Vehari, Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur.
The authorities said that 14,000 citizens and 17,000 cattle have been relocated to security, with 67 aid camps, 38 medical camps and 46 established veterinary centers.
The PDMA said it had also mobilized 130 ships, 115 external engines, 500 rescue workers, 1,300 life jackets and 1,600 tents.
Rescue 1122 said he had evacuated 28,055 people from Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar and Vehari.
The general director of PDMA, Irfan Ali Kathia, ordered urgent evacuations of the river beds and the Nullahs, particularly Deg Nullah.
The Help Commissioner Nabil Javed also warned of landslides in Murree and Galiyat.
The authorities warned that the additional entries of India could aggravate the crisis, testing the ability to respond to disasters as the Ravi and Setlej rivers continue to increase.
The army called
According to a spokesman for the Department of Origin of Punjab, the Army has been requested in the districts of Lahore, Faisalabad, Kasur, Sialkot, Nareowal and Okara to support the district administrations in the protection of lives and property. The decision was made after local administrations formally requested the immediate deployment of troops.
“The Army has been called to help civil authorities and guarantee the safety of citizens,” said the spokesman, added that the district administrations, the 1122 rescue, the civil defense and the police were already working in the front line in the affected areas.
The Department of the Interior confirmed that a formal application had been sent to the Federal Interior Ministry for the deployment of troops. The number of personnel that will be implemented in each district will end in consultation with local administrations.
More intense monsoon
Meanwhile, the president of the NDMA, General Gen Inam Haider, Malik, told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that next year is expected to be 22 percent more intense, with the potential to cause generalized destruction.
He warned that almost 45 % of the 7,500 Pakistan glaciers are being melted at an accelerated pace and projected that 65PC of the country’s glaciers could disappear in the next 52 years.
Pakistan has more glaciers than any country outside the polar regions, with more than 13,000 identified, mainly in the ranges of Karakoram, Hindu Kush and Himalayas of Gilgit-Baltistan. The country’s glaciers are of immense importance, since they feed the Indo River system, which serves as lifeguard for the agriculture of the nation, drinking water and energy generation.
“This year’s devastating floods were largely caused by glacial fusion,” said Lieutenant General Malik, warning that the fusion without control could exhaust Pakistan water reserves and expose the country to severe droughts and hunger conditions.
He pointed out that the current monsoon, which is expected to last until September 10, has already claimed around 800 lives throughout the country.
Bilal Senator Ahmed Khan asked with punctuation: “If the 1122 rescue and the district administrations operate on the ground, what exactly is the role of NDMA?”
The president of the NDMA explained that although the current disaster management of Pakistan was mainly based on soil detection, the authority had recommended that the government adopt remote detection technology using climate satellites for more precise forecasts. “Now we can provide early warnings up to six months in advance of the provincial authorities,” he said.
According to NDMA estimates, Pakistan suffers $ 4 billion in annual losses related to floods. April of this year was registered as the most popular month in the history of the country.
Pakistan tougher
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that Pakistan cannot face the climate crisis alone, urging the international community to provide technical and financial support to help the country cope with devastating floods and extreme climate.
“The devastating floods of 2022 and the loss of more than 700 lives due to extreme climatic events only this year are reminders that Pakistan cannot face this crisis only,” said the prime minister when heading to the launch of the new electronic policy of vehicles 2025-30 on Tuesday.
He stressed that Pakistan remains among the most affected nations despite contributing little to global emissions.
Syed Irfan Race in Islamabad also contributed to this report
Posted in Dawn, August 27, 2025
