Pakistan evacuates 150,000 as flood threat rises in Punjab

Nearly 150,000 people have been evacuated from flood-prone regions of Punjab province after warnings of rising river levels and possible flooding, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Tuesday.

Authorities said the evacuations followed alerts that India plans to release excess water from its dams into rivers flowing toward Pakistan, threatening to inundate parts of the country’s agricultural heartland.

According to state-run APP news agency, the NDMA said advance alerts triggered large-scale evacuation operations by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority in vulnerable districts along the Sutlej River. Emergency response teams were deployed, and all concerned departments were placed on high alert to safeguard lives and property.

Official figures show evacuations included 89,868 residents from Bahawalnagar, 14,140 from Kasur, 2,063 from Okara, 873 from Pakpattan, 361 from Bahawalpur and 165 from Vehari. NDMA said approximately 40,000 people had already relocated soon after the initial warnings.

The authority urged citizens to avoid rivers, streams and low-lying areas, refrain from unnecessary travel, and follow safety instructions disseminated through television, radio, mobile alerts and the Pak NDMA Disaster Alert app.

Rising river levels

Rescue 1122 officials in Kasur said water levels in the Sutlej River had reached 95,000 cusecs, with expectations it could climb to 250,000 cusecs. Teams shifted more than 2,281 people and 1,068 cattle to safer locations on an emergency basis. A flood relief camp was set up at a check post in Shikhpuranu area.

Residents use a boat to reach their destination in flooded areas due to the monsoon rains and rising water level of the Sutlej River, in Hakuwala village near the Pakistan-India border in Kasur district of the Punjab province, Pakistan August 23, 2025.Reuters

Meanwhile, the District Emergency Operation Center in Sialkot reported a high flood situation at the River Chenab at Head Marala.

Data released by the center showed the Chenab flowing at 181,909 cusecs against a safe discharge of 230,000 cusecs, placing the situation at high alert. Other waterways in the district, including Nullah Deg, Nullah Aik and Nullah Palkhu, were also experiencing medium to low flood conditions.

NDMA issues fresh alerts

The NDMA’s National Emergency Operations Center separately issued new alerts for Punjab and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, warning of heavy rains in Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore and Kasur in the next 12 to 24 hours.

Further rainfall was expected in Jhelum, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Nankana Sahib, Chiniot and Pakpattan, raising the risk of urban flooding and landslides in hilly areas.

A resident walks with his cattle in a flooded street, due to the monsoon rains and rising water level of the Sutlej River, in Bhikhiwind village near the Pakistan-India border in Kasur district of the Punjab province, Pakistan, August 24, 2025.Reuters

In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, rains were forecast for Neelum Valley, Bagh, Kotli, Rawalakot, Muzaffarabad and Haveli, with officials warning of flash floods, landslides and possible disruptions to road traffic.

India’s warning to Pakistan

Officials said the evacuation effort also followed a surprise warning from India on Monday that it intends to release water from the rapidly filling Madhopur Dam on its side of Punjab.

An Indian government source told Reuters that no specific dam was named but heavy rainfall had prompted New Delhi to share alerts through diplomatic channels. Pakistan’s foreign ministry criticized the move, saying it bypassed the Indus Waters Commission, the official mechanism under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.

The treaty was placed in abeyance by India earlier this year after New Delhi accused Islamabad of involvement in a deadly attack on Hindu pilgrims in Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan denied any role.

The NDMA said three rivers — Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab — are now experiencing medium to high flooding. Hundreds of villages along the embankments have been evacuated as a precaution.

Pakistan has been ravaged by flooding this monsoon season, with nearly 800 deaths reported. The northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been hit hardest, while the southern port city of Karachi was partly submerged last week.

Authorities fear the latest flood threat could devastate Punjab, which is home to more than half of the country’s 240 million people and serves as its breadbasket.

—With additional input from Reuters.