Punjab floods claim 49 lives, 3,900 villages submerged

Punjab is reeling under widespread destruction caused by severe flooding, with more than 3,900 villages submerged and at least 49 people confirmed dead.

Over 1.5 million acres of fertile agricultural land have been inundated, wiping out standing crops and leaving farmers devastated.

According to official figures, more than 3.8 million people have been directly affected, while nearly 1.84 million have been displaced to relief camps set up across 25 districts, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujrat, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin and Wazirabad.

Authorities say the situation has worsened due to India’s release of water into the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers, which officials describe as an act of “water aggression” that has ruined farmers and forced poor families from their homes.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has issued high-flood alerts, while Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said the civil administration, the Pakistan Army and all relevant agencies remain on high alert to safeguard lives and property.

In Muzaffargarh, the Chenab River at Shershah has risen to a dangerous level, submerging dozens of villages.

Read more: Funeral carried by boat in Bahawalpur as floodwaters cut off roads

The Shujabad Canal and parts of Kasur are facing continued water surges, while in Multan, the intensity of water at the Akbar Flood Bund has begun to ease slightly.

Head Muhammadwala Road remains closed for the fourth consecutive day, while in Depalpur, thousands of acres of crops have been destroyed by persistent high-level flooding.

At Suleimanki Headworks, water flow has surged to 140,000 cusecs, inundating streams and settlements in four tehsils of Bahawalpur.

At Head Islam, water levels reached 102,000 cusecs, causing a breach near Fato Wali that submerged villages in Bahawalnagar.

Breaches in the Rango Canal have also swept away dozens of settlements. At Mailsi Head Siphon, rising water drowned entire villages, while in Arifwala, one man lost his life after being swept away. Crops in Hasilpur have also been destroyed.