NDMA Warns of Rising Pressure on Punjab Rivers as Floods Intensify

ISLAMABAD  (Web Desk) — National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik has warned that pressure on rivers in Punjab is expected to increase amid ongoing heavy rains and floodwaters entering Pakistan from across the border.

Addressing a press conference, the NDMA chief said Pakistan is currently experiencing the eighth and penultimate spell of rainfall in 2025, with particularly heavy downpours recorded in northern Punjab and occupied Kashmir. Rainfall has exceeded 300 mm around Jammu and nearly 600 mm near Sialkot.

“Floodwaters have entered Pakistan through the Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi rivers,” he said. “At Head Marala, the Chenab River peaked at 700,000 cusecs before falling to about 550,000 cusecs due to reduced rainfall in north-eastern areas. Flash floods and cloudbursts in occupied Kashmir have already caused major damage, submerging settlements and infrastructure.”

At Head Khanki, a flood discharge of one million cusecs is placing mounting pressure on Qadirabad, he warned. Army engineers and the Punjab PDMA are considering creating a controlled breach to reduce the risk. Water levels in the Khanki–Qadirabad stretch are expected to remain high over the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the Ravi River is witnessing a flow of 230,000 cusecs at Jesar, with rising pressure at Shahdara and Barki. Further rainfall forecast over the next 12 to 24 hours in Sialkot, Narowal, and Gujranwala could further strain river systems.

The NDMA chairman added that India has released water from its dams into the Sutlej, where heavy rains have also swelled the river. A significant flood of 250,000 cusecs is passing through Ganda Singh, similar to the 2023 floods when mass evacuations were carried out.

So far, nearly 200,000 residents living along the Sutlej have been evacuated with the help of the Pakistan Army, PDMA Punjab, and other rescue services. He stressed that relocating people to safe zones and ensuring medical and relief facilities remain the top priority.

Separately, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that two soldiers lost their lives and two others were injured while carrying out rescue operations. He confirmed that more than 28,000 people have been rescued so far, with flood response units deployed across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

“No military post in flood-affected areas has been abandoned,” the ISPR chief said, adding that a large-scale rescue operation is under way in Kartarpur using boats. He reaffirmed that the Pakistan Army and the people “stand united” and that “no malicious force can drive a wedge between them.”