The Punjab government has called in the Army to help civil authorities tackle rising floodwaters in six districts of the province—Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Narowal and Okara.
The Punjab Home Department has formally written to the Interior Ministry, requesting deployment of troops in all six districts.
According to officials, district administrations of the affected areas have sought immediate military assistance to protect lives and support ongoing rescue operations. The troops would supplement Rescue 1122, civil defense, police and local administration, who are already endeavoring to overcome the crisis, though its scale has pushed them to seek additional support.
In a press conference, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said India had opened all the gates of its Thein Dam on the Ravi River. Earlier, India had warned Pakistan through official channels it was releasing water from the Madhopur Dam, also located on the Ravi.
The PDMA has warned that the next 48 hours are critical, particularly for Lahore, and urged residents along the riverbanks to seek shelter elsewhere. The organization has also stressed on not taking the rising waters likely, with civil defense patrolling in boats to provide help to any potential victims.
NDMA’s preparation
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had earlier warned that Lahore and other parts of Punjab face a “very high to exceptionally high” flood threat due to heavy rains and India’s release of water from two dams.
In Kasur, 72 villages and 45,000 residents have been affected. Tens of thousands more have been impacted across the Sutlej basin, including Pakpattan, Vehari, Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur. In Bahawalnagar, locals say crops have been devastated. Reportedly, part of the Hangli Bridge collapsed in Zafarwal, cutting off road links to dozens of villages. In Narowal, the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib has been inundated, with the entire complex underwater. Authorities say efforts are ongoing to remove the waters from the Sikh holy site.
According to the NDMA, the Ravi is swelling rapidly at Jassar, carrying 170,000 cusecs of water. It is projected to surge to 250,000 cusecs by morning, potentially overwhelming embankments and inundating nearby settlements. It said the flow at Head Marala had exceeded 900,000 cusecs against a design capacity of 1,100,000 cusecs, an “extremely dangerous” flood level. “The public should exercise safety measures,” it warned, urging citizens to follow the instructions of local administration and remain in touch with relief teams.
Appeal for help
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned that Pakistan cannot face the climate crisis alone. Urging the international community to provide both technical and financial support to help the country cope with ravaging floods and extreme weather, he recalled the devastating floods of 2022 and the loss of over 700 lives this year.
He noted that Pakistan remains among the hardest-hit nations despite contributing little to global emissions.