Lahore: Severe flooding in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province has forced the evacuation of about 190,000 residents, with the army deployed to support civil authorities across six districts facing rising river waters.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers were experiencing "exceptionally high" floods on Wednesday. Water outflows exceeded one million cubic feet per second at Khanki headwork and were nearing 800,000 cusecs at Qadirabad.
The unprecedented emergency followed record rainfall in Sialkot district and the release of water from two dams in India. The Pakistan Meteorological Department recorded 363.5 millimeters, marking the heaviest rainfall in forty-nine years.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday to review flood response efforts. Sharif emphasized that all issues caused by the situation would be resolved through coordinated measures at the national level.
Sharif highlighted that NDMA's timely warnings through media platforms reduced potential losses of life and property. He directed officials to ensure effective evacuations, safe relocations, and strict supervision of relief operations in Punjab's flood-affected districts.