NDMA chairman: 210,000 evacuated as advisories for rain, high floods issued

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik said on Wednesday that around 210,000 people have been safely evacuated from flood-hit areas, with no loss of life reported so far.

Briefing the media, Lt Gen Malik said the large-scale evacuation was made possible through joint efforts of the Pakistan Army, Rangers, Rescue 1122, Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) and other agencies. Those displaced have been shifted to relief camps where they are being provided with food, medical assistance and other essentials, he added.

The NDMA chief said that the authority has issued fresh early warnings for another spell of monsoon rains forecast between August 29 and September 9, mainly in catchment zones of already inundated areas. Local administrations, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders have been instructed to remain on alert to reduce potential losses, he highlighted.

Also Read: PMD sees ‘very high’ flood at Sindh’s Guddu, Sukkur barrages on Sept 4-5

He said that water flow at Panjnad is expected to increase to 600,000–700,000 cusecs in the coming days. He said the NDMA is sharing real-time alerts with the Sindh PDMA and other relevant authorities to ensure timely preparations, while pressure points at downstream barrages, including Kotri and Guddu, are under constant watch.

He added that evacuations are continuing in low-lying areas along the Sutlej River as water levels rise. Army formations are carrying out rescue operations in their designated sectors on the directives of the Chief of Army Staff, with priority given to vulnerable communities.

The NDMA chief further warned of additional rainfall in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He urged citizens to stay updated through the NDMA Disaster Alert mobile app.

He said that advisories have already been issued for the next 25 to 45 days, particularly for northern Punjab, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, as heavy rains could trigger more flooding in these regions.