Nearly 2 lakh people evacuated across Pak's Punjab amid rising water levels in eastern rivers

Lahore, Aug 26 (PTI) Nearly two lakh people were evacuated from flood-prone areas to safer places across Pakistan's Punjab province till Tuesday as authorities issued warnings and alerts regarding rising water levels in almost all eastern rivers.  "Indus, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers are experiencing low to high flooding owing to torrential monsoon rains in the catchment areas, and more rain is expected over the next 48 hours," Punjab Emergency Services Rescue 1122 spokesperson Farooq Ahmad said in a statement.

He said the evacuation operation is being conducted in Kasur, Okara, Pakp­a­ttan, Bahawalnagar, Ve­hari, and Narowal, with 25,000 people relocated to temporary residences from these flood-hit areas.

A senior official of Punjab Emergency Services told PTI on Tuesday that nearly 200,000 people have been evacuated from Kasur, Okara, Pakp­a­ttan, Bahawalnagar, Ve­hari, Layyah, Bhakkar and Narowal.

"Over 175,000 people left their houses on their own, while 25,000 people, who were stuck in flood-hit areas, have been rescued through boats by the government rescue agencies," the official said.

Hundreds of houses have been damaged by the floods, Ahmad added.  "A high alert has been issued in Kasur, Okara, Pakpa­ttan, Bahaw­a­lnagar, Vehari and Narowal in light of a flood alert by India," he said.  According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), there has been a high flood alert in Punjab because of heavy rains.

"There is a risk of high to very high flooding in the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers, whereas urban flooding is also expected in the Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Gujranwala divisions," it said.

It added that a high-level flooding warning has been issued at the Harike location of the Sutlej River.

"However, there is a low flood situation at Kalabagh and Chashma in the Indus River, while the water flow is at a normal level at Tarbela and Taunsa. There is a high flood situation at Ganda Singh Wala in the Sutlej River and a medium flood at Sul­emanki. There is a medium flood situation at Marala and Khanki on the Chenab River," the PDMA said.

On Sunday, India communicated flood warnings to Pakistan through diplomatic channels on "humanitarian grounds". It was the first known official contact between India and Pakistan since a four-day conflict between the two sides in May.

A day after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, India took a series of punitive measures against Pakistan that included putting the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in "abeyance". Usually, flood alerts are shared through the Indus Water Commission.

An alert by the Punjab PDMA on Monday reported “high flood level” in the Sutlej River.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) also issued a flood warning for the Chenab River and Ravi River on Monday.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of heavy rains across most parts of Pakistan until August 30.

The NDMA directed all institutions and emergency services to remain vigilant, urging citizens to avoid flood-prone areas, unnecessary travel, and follow safety instructions disseminated through alerts. PTI MZ ZH ZH ZH