Islamabad/Lahore, August 27, 2025: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed immediate emergency measures as Punjab braced for severe flooding following India’s release of water from upstream dams amid heavy rains.
Authorities warned that the River Ravi at Shahdara in Lahore could face a dangerous surge late tonight, with water levels expected to peak between 10pm and midnight before moving downstream to Balloki on Thursday morning. Low-lying areas of Lahore, including Shahdara, Park View and the Motorway-2 corridor, are at particular risk.
India had earlier opened all gates of major dams in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and notified Islamabad of possible downstream flooding. Based on Indian data, Pakistan’s Indus Water Commissioner issued alerts for high flood risks in the Sutlej at Ferozepur, the Ravi at Madhopur, and the Chenab at Akhnoor.
According to the National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC), the Ravi at Jassar is carrying a high flood of 202,200 cusecs, which could rise to nearly 230,000 cusecs. The Sutlej remains in extreme flood, recording 245,000 cusecs at Ganda Singh Wala, while the Chenab has seen massive discharges of over 769,000 cusecs at Marala.
Thousands evacuated in Punjab
Rapid rises in the Ravi and Chenab over the past 24 hours triggered precautionary evacuations across Punjab. Between 150,000 to 200,000 people were moved to safety from floodplains along the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
Rescue operations are under way in Narowal, Shakargarh and Gujranwala, where overnight rains inundated villages, schools and roads. In Sindh’s Dadu district, floodwaters from the Indus submerged settlements and damaged crops.
In Kasur and Ganda Singh Wala, where the Sutlej overflowed, the Punjab government called in army troops to assist with evacuations. Troops used boats to move residents, livestock and belongings to relief camps set up with district authorities. Officials estimate that more than 167,000 people have so far been displaced across Punjab.
Kartarpur submerged
Floodwaters also entered Kartarpur, inundating homes, fields and the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. More than 100 staff members of the Kartarpur Project Management Unit were stranded before rescue operations began.
PM’s directives and relief measures
Chairing an emergency meeting in Islamabad, the prime minister instructed the NDMA to strengthen early warning systems and ensure uninterrupted relief supplies. So far, the NDMA has dispatched 5,000 tents to affected districts, with more aid en route. Shehbaz also ordered administrative measures in Gujrat, Sialkot and Lahore to prevent urban flooding.
The NDMA said it remains in constant contact with civil and military agencies, while its control room operates round the clock. Residents along riverbanks were urged to move immediately to safer areas.
Water levels to ease gradually
PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said river levels were expected to start receding following a pause in rainfall in upper catchments. He noted the Ravi’s peak flow at Shahdara could remain between 180,000 and 190,000 cusecs — within its capacity of 250,000 cusecs. The last flood of such scale was recorded in 1988, when the Ravi reached 346,500 cusecs.
Casualties and damage
The NDMA confirmed two new deaths in Punjab in the past 24 hours, raising the national toll from this monsoon season to 804. At least 1,088 people have been injured, while over 7,400 houses have collapsed and nearly 5,600 livestock have perished.
