- Web Desk
- 9 Hours ago
Sutlej in exceptionally high flood, Multan faces Chenab brunt
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- Web Desk
- Sep 06, 2025
ISLAMABAD: As Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani declared the next 24 hours very critical for Multan, Chenab was in very high flood at Chiniot with a flow of 524,594 cusecs which again threatens the downstream areas.
Read more: Chenab and Sutlej continue inundating Punjab
However, a declining trend was visible at Chiniot by 10pm, when the reading stood at 509,392 cusecs.
INDUS WATERS TREATY
On the other hand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson at a weekly briefing on Friday expressed concerns over not sharing complete data
He said the information India provided through diplomatic channels was not as detailed and added that New Delhi must comply with all the provisions of Indus Waters Treaty.
With Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s far-right government suspending the Indus Waters Treaty illegally after the Pahalgam attack, New Delhi has been relying on sharing information through diplomatic channels.
And on Friday, the Indian external affairs ministry, according to Reuters, again said that they had been sharing flood data with Pakistan through diplomatic channels.
CAUGHT BETWEEN CHENAB AND SUTLEJ
On the other hand, the raging Chenab River meant situation was worsening at the Sher Shah Bridge and Muhammad Wala Headworks, with dozens of villages and settlements already inundated.
Earlier, the Zamindara Bund — a protective levee near Sher Shah Bridge — had collapsed, submerging a vast area.
Similarly, another dyke was breached near Jalalpur Pirwala in Multan district, whose collapse currently threatened the city.
On the other hand, the waterflow at Panjnad — the point where the five rivers meet — was 310,479 cusecs, representing high flood. But the flood surge in Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej moving downstream, situation will worsen at Panjnad.
The Chenab River has already inundated farmlands and villages along its routes from Gujrat and Wazirabad in the north to Chiniot, Jhang and Multan in the south.
On the other hand, the Sutlej River in eastern Punjab, which is expected to receive more monsoon downpours from Saturday, had been staying in exceptionally high flood at Ganda Singh Wala, as the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) data showed that the waterflow was 311,673 cusecs at 3pm.
Read more: Monsoon low from India to hit eastern Punjab, Sindh
By 10pm, the flow was down slightly to 303,828 cusecs.
That’s why Sutlej is submerging more and more villages and settlements in Kasur and in the downstream areas, forcing the authorities to breach dykes to release pressure.
But the raging waters are also sweeping away protective levees in the process. Different areas of Bahawalnagar, Vehari and Lodhran have been facing the similar situation.
AIK AND DEK
Meanwhile, the nullahs in northeastern Punjab played a massive role in devastating places like Narowal, Sialkot, Wazirabad and Gujrat.
In this regard, Punjab Irrigation Minister Kazim told the Punjab Assembly the other day that flood level in Nullah Dek was record-breaking, with the flow doubling the previously recorded flows.
A more or less similar situation has been witnessed in the likes of Nullah Aik and Nullah Phulko.
RIVER FLOW
In downstream of Ganda Singh Wala, the Sutlej River was in high flood at Sulemanki — 141,984 cusecs — and in medium flood at Islam Headworks — 102,045 cusecs. These readings too were taken at 3pm.
By 10pm, the river at Islam was 103,465 cusecs, with the same reading at Sulemanki.
Sutlej is a shallow river and the silt accumulated since the three eastern rivers given to India under the Indus Waters Treaty has made it even shallower. That’s why it causes more devastation in floods.
Meanwhile, Chenab was in high flood downstream of Chiniot at Trimmu — 331,695 cusecs — and Panjnad — 310,479 cusecs.
But by 10pm, the waterflow at Trimmu had increased to 352,529 cusecs.
As far as Ravi is concerned, the river was in low flood of 74,648 cusecs at Jassar in Narowal district (3pm) — certainly a great news for the millions of people in its downstream. Same was the case with Chenab at Marala — 115,341 cusecs, which further decreased to 99,658 cusecs by 8pm, representing normal flow.
But the Ravi River was still in high flood of 112,440 at Shahdara and in very high flood at Balloki and Sidhnai — 148,210 cusecs and 119,324 cusecs respectively.
By 10pm, the waterflow at Balloki was 156,210 cusecs and 111,450 cusecs at Sidhnai.
However, the waterflow at Balloki had increased to 156,610 cusecs and still rising.
