By Abdullahi Lukman
Severe monsoon flooding has displaced nearly half a million people in eastern Pakistan’s Punjab province, as days of heavy rain caused three major rivers to overflow, officials said on Saturday.
According to the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the flooding has affected more than 1.5 million people and submerged over 2,300 villages.
The monsoon season, which began on June 26, has so far claimed 835 lives nationwide, including 195 in Punjab.
“This is the biggest rescue operation in Punjab’s history,” said Irfan Ali Khan, head of the province’s disaster management agency.
Over 481,000 people and 405,000 livestock have been evacuated, with the help of more than 800 boats and 1,300 rescue workers. Over 500 relief camps have been set up to provide shelter and aid.
The Punjab government has initiated controlled breaches along the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers—the first time all three have overflowed simultaneously.
These transboundary rivers, which also flow through India, reached dangerously high levels, triggering a widespread emergency response.
The flooding has devastated rural communities. Farmers in Kasur and Shahdara reported losing homes, crops, and livestock, with some saying they had received no government assistance.
Meanwhile, continuous rainfall has submerged parts of Lahore, the country’s second-largest city.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned of more widespread rain, wind, and thunderstorms in the coming days.
This disaster follows recent deadly landslides in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and echoes the catastrophic 2022 monsoon floods, which submerged a third of Pakistan and displaced millions.
