Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday instructed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to intensify relief operations and ensure timely flood alerts, as Punjab faced rising waters in the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers.
Speaking from Beijing during his China visit, the prime minister called NDMA Chairman Lt General Inam Haider Malik, directing him to coordinate closely with provincial governments, strengthen embankments, and issue early warnings to at-risk communities.
According to official figures, floods have killed at least 43 people and displaced over 1.3 million across Punjab in the last 10 days. Nationwide, the NDMA has reported 883 deaths since June 26, as heavy monsoon rains combined with upstream dam releases from India fueled the crisis.
Punjab’s PDMA confirmed dangerously high flows in the Chenab, with more than 550,000 cusecs recorded at Khanki and Qadirabad headworks. The Ravi and Sutlej were also flowing at elevated levels, raising alarm for downstream settlements. Hundreds of relief camps have already been established in inundated districts.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah warned of a potential “super flood” of up to 900,000 cusecs reaching the province within days. He said evacuation plans were in place, but persuading riverine communities to relocate remained the greatest challenge. “The real danger is if flood peaks from all rivers synchronise, but we hope they arrive in phases to reduce pressure,” he noted.
Officials stressed that embankments were under constant watch, with irrigation teams and provincial ministers deployed at critical sites. Preparations are ongoing as Sindh braces for the cumulative inflows from Punjab.
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