LAHORE – 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.
ہنگامی اطلاع: دریائے چناب میں مرالہ پر شدید سیلابی صورتحال
اپڈیٹ: 27 اگست 2025، صبح 2 بجےہیڈ مرالہ کے مقام پر بہاؤ 9 لاکھ کیوسک سے تجاوز کر چکا ہے جو کہ انتہائی خطرناک سیلابی سطح ہے۔جبکہ ہیڈ مرالہ کی ڈیزائن گنجائش 11 لاکھ کیوسک ہے۔عوام حفاظتی اقدامات یقینی بنائیں۔ pic.twitter.com/WxgpTXd9pG
— NDMA PAKISTAN (@ndmapk) August 26, 2025
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.
ہنگامی اطلاع: دریائے راوی میں شدید سیلابی صورتحال
اپڈیٹ، 27 اگست 2025، صبح 1:29 بجے
دریائے راوی میں سیلابی صورتحال انتہائی سنگین ہے۔ جسر کے مقام پر بہاؤ 2 لاکھ کیوسک سے تجاوز کر چکا ہے جو کہ غیر معمولی بلند سیلابی سطح ہے۔کوٹ نینا کے مقام پر بہاؤ 2.5 لاکھ کیوسک تک پہنچ گیا ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/fCSaSFsRtd— NDMA PAKISTAN (@ndmapk) August 26, 2025
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)
دریائے راوی میں سیلابی ریلے کیوجہ سے شاہدرہ ،پارک ویو اور موٹر وے ٹو کے نشیبی علاقوں پر سیلاب کا خطرہ
دریائے ستلج میں گنڈا سنگھ والا کے مقام پر 2.45 لاکھ کیوسک کا انتہائی اونچے درجے کا سیلابی ریلہ موجود جس میں مزید اضافہ متوقع۔ pic.twitter.com/AbjSjlDSB7— NDMA PAKISTAN (@ndmapk) August 26, 2025
NDMA has surged 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.
PM Orders Authorities to Intensify Evacuations
A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to pace up evacuation efforts for individuals stranded in flood-affected areas.
Chairing a review meeting in Islamabad on Tuesday, he instructed officials to accelerate rescue efforts in Punjab districts impacted by flooding from the Sutlej River.
PM Shehbaz emphasized the urgent need to ensure the provision of essential food supplies, medicines, and tents to affected communities. Additionally, he directed the NDMA chairman to maintain close coordination with Punjab’s disaster management agencies.
