LAHORE:
The southern Punjab faces the worsening of the emergence of floods as the overflow of rivers and embankments collapse, threatening to move to tens of thousands of more residents.
In the cosmopolitan city of Karachi, the streets and the houses in low areas were flooded on Wednesday when the metropolis endured a third consecutive day of strong monsoon rains, with overflowing rivers and rescue equipment changing hundreds of residents to security.
The Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has directed urgent evacuations of flood -prone districts, including Muzaffarh, Lodhran, Rajanpur, Liaqatpur and Rahim Yar Khan, stressing that residents in the beds of the fluses must be relocated in safe areas without delay.
Chenab has increased to dangerous levels in fine, where water crossed the 394.5 feet mark, forcing mass evacuations and interrupting daily life.
The floods entered villages such as Basti Gagran Kachor, Mirza Pur and Hasan Kachor, leaving the families stranded. The authorities diverted heavy traffic through Vehari and Khanewal when the key roads near Sher Shah and Chief Muhammadwala became insecure.
The authorities said the pressure is increasing in Sher Shah Barge and the nearby dikes, where a controlled violation is being considered to relieve tension in embankments.
If they run, more than 8,000 homes and 30,000 people could be affected. Warnings have already been issued for nearby settlements, urging residents to move to relief camps.
Below, India has released additional water in Sutlej, intensifying the flows in Harike and Ferozepur.
On the head of Panjnad, the download reached 530,000 Cusecs, classified as an “extremely high flood.” The Ministry of Water Resources of Pakistan has placed all departments in emergency alert.
In Muzaffarh, 138 villages are submerged, affecting more than 135,000 people. Rangpur reported that another 50,000 displaced after 28 villages were flooded.
In Lodhran, the violations left multiple communities under water, while in Alipur, eight people were swept; Three were confirmed dead and five remain missing. Bahawalpur officials said that 150,000 residents have been affected by the growing waters in 98 locations.
The authorities fear that the crisis may get worse in Jalpur Pirwala, where 500,000 Cusecs released from the trimmu head emerged downstream.
Emergency measures are in place during the next 24 hours as thousands continue to flee from low areas. Local authorities said that more than 235,000 people and 180,000 cattle have been relocated in safer terrain.
The Provincial Authority for Disaster Management (PDMA) reported that 2.1 million people have already been displaced in Punjab this monsoon, with almost two million submerged farmland acres. Cotton, corn and sesame crops have been eliminated in several districts, which aggravates economic losses.
Public health concerns are also increasing. The Punjab Health Department said that more than 158,000 people affected by floods have contracted diseases that include respiratory infections, skin ailments, diarrhea and eye infections.
Snake bites and dog bites have also been reported in the relief camps. In Arifwala, stagnant water has also caused outbreaks of water transmitted diseases.
The Provincial Government has deployed more than 300 ships, 400 inflatable rafts and thousands of life jackets to fine, Muzaffarh, Bahawalpur, Lodhran and Rahim Yar Khan. The 1122 army and rescue are helping with evacuations and efforts to plug in violations.
According to the National Authority for Disaster Management, Punjab has only registered 246 deaths this season, while tolls throughout the country are 929 with more than 1,000 injured.
The waters of the floods have now pushed Sindh, where the Indo, Sutlej and Chenab continue to rise. In Guddu Barge, the flows exceeded 500,000 CUSECs on Wednesday, with warning that an even higher flood increase could reach within 12 hours.
Sukkur Barge registered more than 440,000 cusecs upstream, since all doors opened to relieve the pressure.
Despite the continuous relief, the villagers in Bhawana, Ahmedpur Sial, Uch Sharif and Kabirwala are still cut, which attracts an urgent rescue.
The officials warn that the next few days will be decisive. With the entries that continue from India and the upstream bombs under tension, southern Punjab and Sindh remain on a maximum alert, so experts call one of the most serious flood emergencies in recent memory.
