- Web Desk
- 4 Hours ago
Punjab on high alert as Ravi floodwaters recede in Lahore, new surges expected downstream
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- Web Desk
- Aug 29, 2025
LAHORE: Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Friday that the heaviest Ravi flood since 1988 passed through Lahore’s Shahdara point a day earlier, carrying 220,000 cusecs of water. Speaking to media, PDMA chief Irfan Ali Kathia told that water levels at Shahdara are now receding and are expected to drop further in the coming hours. “Thankfully, Lahore has seen no loss of life, and residents at nine affected sites were successfully rescued,” he said.
However, pressure is now shifting downstream. At Balloki, 147,000 cusecs are flowing, with more floodwaters expected to enter the Ravi. Authorities remain concerned about the Rewas Bridge, where officials say embankments may need to be cut to protect Jhang. Water surges are also building at Chiniot, Suleimanki and along the Sutlej, where inflows have crossed 200,000 cusecs for four consecutive days.
Kathia confirmed that over 1,769 villages across Punjab are inundated, with more than 14,000 people displaced and 4,000 sheltering in relief camps. Over 400,000 people have been rescued, some through forced evacuations. So far, 20 flood-related deaths have been reported.
With further rainfall expected over the Sulaiman Range, authorities have urged all residents in riverine belts to evacuate immediately.
According to the Flood Forecasting Division, several major rivers across Punjab remain in varying stages of flooding. On the Chenab, water discharge at Marala is 112,000 cusecs, placing it in low flood, while Khanki is experiencing medium flood with 188,000 cusecs. At Qadirabad, the situation is more severe, with high flood levels and an outflow of 217,000 cusecs. Further downstream at Trimmu, flows remain normal at 126,000 cusecs.
On the Ravi, Jassar is in medium flood with 85,900 cusecs, while Shahdara is facing an extremely high flood as 211,000 cusecs pass through. At Balloki, the Ravi is in high flood with a discharge of 135,000 cusecs. Meanwhile, the Sutlej is also under strain, with 261,000 cusecs at Ganda Singh Wala marking a high flood and 113,000 cusecs at Sulemanki placing it in medium flood.
The Indus is likewise elevated, recording 335,000 cusecs at Guddu and 229,000 cusecs at Sukkur, both categorised as low floods. At Sidhnai, water flow is normal at 10,000 cusecs, while Head Islam faces low flood conditions with 58,000 cusecs.
More rain to come
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast more rainfall across the country from today till September 2. According to the advisory, heavy showers are expected in the eastern districts of Punjab, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal and Gujranwala. Central and southern Punjab may also experience downpours, raising concerns of flooding in low-lying areas.
Following days of torrential rain, water inflows into major dams have surged, while floodwaters continue to rise across Punjab as rivers and reservoirs reach critical levels, prompting authorities to issue urgent evacuation orders in vulnerable areas. According to the Flood Forecasting Division of the PMD, Tarbela Dam has reached its full capacity at 1,550 feet, while Mangla Dam is 80 percent full at 1,223 feet. Khanpur Dam is at 1,981 feet, Rawal Dam at 1,751 feet, and Simly Dam at 2,314 feet.
Severe flooding in rivers
Extremely high flood levels have been reported at Ravi Siphon, Shahdara, Chiniot Bridge, and Ganda Singh Wala near Kasur. The Chenab and Ravi rivers, along with their tributaries, are experiencing heavy inflows, with Palkhu Nala facing high flood levels, Basantar recording medium flood, and Bein at low flood.
At Chiniot, a massive flow of 780,500 cusecs was recorded at the bridge. The Chenab at Khanki registered an inflow and outflow of 216,469 cusecs, while at Marala the flow was 110,496 cusecs. At Qadirabad, the river witnessed high flood with 265,776 cusecs passing through.
The Ravi at Shahdara is seeing an extremely high flood of 217,660 cusecs, while at Balloki, the river recorded an inflow of 130,945 cusecs and an outflow of 119,045 cusecs. Jassar reported a low flood with 95,580 cusecs.
The Sutlej river is also in severe flood at Ganda Singh Wala, where 261,053 cusecs are flowing, while at Sulemanki, a medium flood with 113,124 cusecs was recorded.
Rising waters
Authorities warned of a major flood wave expected to hit in the next two days as the waters of five rivers, including the Indus, converge at Kot Mithan. Between Saturday and Monday, an estimated 1 to 1.2 million cusecs are expected to pass through the region. Residents of Kacha areas have been advised to evacuate immediately, and the process of shifting families to safer locations has accelerated.
Recent damages
In Sheikhupura’s Ferozewala area, a house collapsed in Mehr Colony, killing a woman and injuring a child, rescue officials confirmed. In Lahore, Khokhar Town was submerged, where Rescue 1122 teams evacuated two people trapped inside a house.
In Chiniot’s Lalian tehsil, the protective dyke broke, prompting officials to direct residents to move to safer places.
Evacuations underway in Nankana Sahib
In Nankana Sahib, the deputy commissioner ordered the immediate evacuation of flood-affected areas, directing the administration to ensure no residents remain in danger zones. Authorities are continuing rescue and relief operations as floodwaters spread across central Punjab.
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