Punjab intensified a province-wide drainage operation, deploying over one thousand modern dewatering machines across 41 districts. Led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the emergency response follows severe monsoon downpours, high flood levels on the Chenab River, and rising water risks across northern Pakistan and neighboring regions.
Emergency Dewatering Operations Across 41 Punjab Districts
The provincial government mobilized an extensive emergency response as torrential monsoon rains battered northern and upper regions. According to official handouts issued in Lahore, authorities deployed over one thousand modern dewatering machines across 41 districts to clear accumulated water from streets, neighborhoods, and major roadways. The province-wide operation operates under the direct supervision of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who maintains constant communication with district administrations while monitoring institutional performance.
Parallel efforts unfolded in the federal capital, where the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration placed its teams on high alert to mitigate flooding risks. District officials, including assistant commissioners and magistrates, patrolled low-lying zones to inspect drainage infrastructure in neighborhoods such as H-8 and G-7. Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, Irfan Nawaz Memon emphasized the importance of effective drainage to prevent flooding, noting that ACs and magistrates are working on the ground to ensure that the drainage systems function properly. Traffic police were also on duty to ensure smooth traffic flow on all major highways, while citizens were advised to lodge a complaint regarding rainwater on the district administration number 051-9108084.
Drone Surveillance and River Hydrology Under Watch
To track rapidly changing water levels, the provincial government ramped up drone surveillance of rivers, barrages, and headworks. Irrigation staff maintained round-the-clock vigilance as inflows fluctuated across major catchments, with authorities warning of possible hill torrents in DG Khan and Rajanpur districts. The Punjab Irrigation Department kept all human and mechanical resources mobilized, positioning heavy machinery at vulnerable locations and accelerating the removal of obstructions from streams and nullahs to ensure the smooth flow of water and minimise the risk of flooding.
Hydrological data underscored the scale of the weather system. Lahore recorded 343 millimetres of rainfall over the past 48 hours, while heavy downpours lashed Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, heavy rainfall has continued since Monday night, causing widespread disruption and flooding as the monsoon intensified across the country’s upper and northern regions.
Barrage Discharges and Flood Categories on the Chenab and Ravi
High flood conditions persisted at key barrages along the Chenab River, according to hydrological situation reports. Marala Barrage maintained a medium flood level, recording an inflow of 194,452 cusecs and an outflow of 174,452 cusecs. At Khanki Barrage, inflow reached 261,463 cusecs against an outflow of 256,063 cusecs, placing the barrage in a high flood category. At Qadirabad Barrage, the river carried an inflow of 267,159 cusecs, while 252,159 cusecs were discharged downstream, and authorities said 15,000 cusecs of water were being diverted into the Q-B Link Canal.
Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting Division of the Pakistan Meteorological Department warned of rising flood risks as a strong monsoon system interacting with a westerly wave is expected to trigger widespread rainfall, rapid river inflows, flash floods in mountainous areas, hill torrents and urban flooding in vulnerable cities, prompting authorities to monitor river catchments and disaster-prone regions closely. According to a hydrological situation alert, widespread rain with isolated heavy falls is expected over Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and parts of Balochistan during the next two days.
Regional Weather Alerts Across Northern India and Pakistan
The extreme monsoon activity extended far beyond Punjab’s borders. Gilgit-Baltistan bore the brunt of torrential downpours over the past two days, further battered by cloudbursts, rapid glacial melting, and severe flooding in streams and rivers, exacerbating the impact of the extreme weather.
Across the border, neighbouring Himachal Pradesh is also experiencing severe weather. The IMD has issued a red alert for Chamba, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu and Sirmaur districts, warning of extremely heavy rainfall, while orange alerts remain in force for Una, Hamirpur and Shimla. Local administrations have advised residents to avoid rivers, streams and unnecessary travel in vulnerable hill areas. Jammu and Kashmir continues to battle the impact of incessant rainfall, with floods and landslides affecting several districts. According to official reports, 24 people have lost their lives over the past two days, while six others remain missing, and rescue and relief operations are underway despite challenging weather conditions. The continuing rainfall also disrupted religious pilgrimages, leaving the Amarnath Yatra, the Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, and pilgrimages to Shiv Khori in Reasi and Sarthal in Kishtwar suspended for the second consecutive day as authorities appealed to devotees to postpone their travel until conditions become safer.
