• Low-lying areas submerged as water level in Chenab continues to rise
• Authorities order evacuations in downstream cities; seven die
• Met office forecasts torrential rain in Sindh, flash floods in Balochistan, landslides in hilly areas, besides urban flooding
• PM wants steps to ensure fuel supply in flood-affected areas
LAHORE: An extremely high flood threatened to engulf Jalalpur Pirwala, a tehsil of Multan district, as the water level in the Chenab River continued to rise on Sunday, prompting the authorities to evacuate residents from a city with a population of 500,000.
Multan City Police Officer (CPO) Sadiq Ali Dogar told Dawn that low-lying areas of the city had been inundated and could be completely submerged by Sunday night. He, however, assured that evacuations from most areas had been completed. The police official stated that the water was not moving towards Head Panjnad and could submerge the entire city, and the administration had called in helicopters to rescue people from hard-to-reach areas.
A senior official, on condition of anonymity, told Dawn that the government attempted to breach a bund to divert the water, but the villagers did not allow them to do so. He claimed that the government was planning to “save the city by diverting the water towards villages but did not succeed”. He said it was not possible to divert the flow since the water had already started entering the city. Residents of Jalalpur also confirmed this version.
In order to aid the administration in relief measures, the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority provided three helicopters for aerial rescue — two from the army and one from Askari Civil Aviation. The PDMA director general said a coordinated rescue operation was underway, involving multiple agencies.
A rescue spokesperson said that 38 additional rescue boats were sent to the most-affected areas of Jalalpur Pirwala. “Another shipment of boats has been dispatched for Jalalpur Pirwala,” the spokesperson said.
Amid rising water levels, the authorities ordered evacuations in the downstream cities. According to the rescue spokesperson, an appeal has been made to the people of Muzaffargarh, Alipur and Jatoi to evacuate immediately.
Seven drown
Meanwhile, five people, including four children, drowned in Jalapur Pirwala after a boat capsized in the Chenab during the evacuation.
“The causes of the boat accident are being carefully examined. Initially, five deaths… have been confirmed,” Multan Deputy Commissioner (DC) Wasim Hamid Sindhu was quoted as saying in a statement. A statement from the PDMA also put the toll at five. “Rescue operations are being carried out to search for more people who were present on the boat,” Sindhu said.
The initial report from Rescue 1122 explained that while evacuating people from floodwaters in Jalalpur Pirwala, the boat had hit a tree and overturned due to the strong current. It added that mostly the women and children were on board and the water was 15 to 20 feet deep where it had capsized.
According to the rescue authorities, more than 9,000 people had been rescued in the Multan district, while over 350,000 people and more than 300,000 animals had been evacuated in advance.
In another incident, a man drowned while trying to cross the Chenab near Head Panjnad on Saturday evening. His body could not be recovered. A young man in Alipur tehsil drowned as he attempted to reach his submerged house in a catchment area near Head Panjnad.
River flow
As of 10:30pm on Sunday, the Marala Headworks on Chenab reported a steady flow of 89,604 cusecs, while both Khanki (steady) and Qadirabad Headworks (rising) reported flows of 147,294 and 147,039 cusecs.
At the Chiniot bridge, the flow was steady with 91,528 cusecs and Riwaz Bridge was holding steady with 521.60 ft (max value 525 ft). Trimmu Headworks (steady) reported a very high flow of 543,579 cusecs.
Jassar on River Ravi was steady with 48,360 cusecs and Ravi Syphon reported a steady flow of 91,463 cusecs. Sidhnai Headworks was rising with a very high flow of 120,239 cusecs. On the River Sutlej, G.S Wala reported an exceptionally high flow of 319,295 cusecs and Sulemanki Headworks reported 135,832 cusecs. Islam Headworks was steady with 110,028 cusecs, while Punjnad Headworks reported an extremely high flow of 609,664 cusecs. Mailsi had reported flows of 99,811 cusecs and steady.
Rain forecast
Amid floods, torrential rainfall is expected across Pakistan, particularly in Sindh, till Sept 10.
In Punjab, rain and thunder showers with isolated heavy falls are expected in Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Narowal, Okara, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Vehari, Khanewal, Multan, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan, Rajanpur, Kot Addu, and Dera Ghazi Khan till Sept 9.
According to the Met office, heavy to “exceptionally very heavy falls” are expected in Tharparker, Umer Kot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Khairpur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Matiari, Tando Allayar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Hyderabad, Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Dadu, Kashmore, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Shikarpur and Ghotki for next couple of days with occasional gaps.
The rainfall will occur at isolated places in Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Jhelum, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, and Wazirabad during the forecast period.
In Balochistan, rain with scattered heavy falls is expected in Barkhan, Musakhel, Loralai, Sibbi, Zhob, Naseerabad, Bolan, Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Awaran, Pasni, Makran coast and Gwadar with occasional gaps. In KP, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, Mohmand, Swabi, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, and Kurrum will receive rainfall till September 9.
The rain spell would likely cause urban flooding in cities and flash floods and landslides in the hilly areas across the country, warned the Met office.
It said that the water level may rise in the Hub Dam, while the deluge may exacerbate the situation in the flood-affected areas during the forecast period.
Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed special vigilance to ensure the transportation of petroleum products to the flood-affected areas without any interruption.
Aamir Yasin in Rawalpindi and Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2025
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