SIALKOT – A holiday has been declared for schools across Sialkot and in Kot Momin tehsil of Sargodah on August 27 (today) after the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued high flood alerts in Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej.
The Sialkot deputy commissioner has issued a notification in this regard, stating that the decision has been taken for safety of students and school staff due to worsening flood situation.
The deputy commissioner said the Section 144 has also been imposed in the city, banning people from going near rivers, canals and water channels.
The tehsil administration in Kot Momin also announced closure of schools on August 27 (today) due to flood threat.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has called in the army to help civil authorities in rescue and relief operations as several districts of the province are facing an unprecedented flood emergency due to a heavy rains and release of water by India.
The development was confirmed by the Punjab Home Department, stating that the troops will be deployed in Lahore, Faisalabad, Kasur, Sialkot, Narowal and Okara districts in order to protect lives and property.
A spokesperson of the department told media that a formal request has been sent to the Ministry of Interior for army deployment.
NDMA Alerts
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued urgent warnings following extremely dangerous flood levels in Rivers Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej.
Authorities are urging residents in low-lying areas to immediately evacuate to safer locations as water levels continue to rise beyond safe limits.
Chenab River Situation
At Head Marala, the flow in the Chenab River has surpassed 900,000 cusecs, exceeding critical flood thresholds.
While the design capacity of Head Marala stands at 1.1 million cusecs, the current flow poses a severe threat to surrounding areas including Khanqi and adjacent settlements.
Ravi River Situation
Similarly, in the Ravi River, floodwaters at Jassar have exceeded 200,000 cusecs, with projections indicating a rise up to 250,000 cusecs by morning. The situation is particularly concerning between Kot Naina and Shahdara, where flow volumes are dangerously close to breaching the design capacity of 275,000 cusecs. The flow interval from Kot Naina to Jassar is approximately 12 hours, prompting high alerts and emergency preparedness in the region.
Sutlej River Flooding
In the Sutlej River, at Ganda Singh Wala, an extremely high flood level of 245,000 cusecs is being recorded, with further increase anticipated.
Areas at Immediate Risk:
Head Marala & Khanqi (Chenab River)
Shahdara, Park View, and low-lying sections of Motorway M-2 (Ravi River)
Ganda Singh Wala and adjacent villages (Sutlej River)
NDMA has urged immediate evacuation for residents in vulnerable and low-lying areas. It said citizens should avoid unnecessary travel to flood-affected zones.
NDMA teams are actively monitoring the situation and coordinating relief efforts, including the supervised evacuation of at-risk populations. The public is urged to remain calm but vigilant, and to prioritize safety above all else.
