ISLAMABAD: Around 100,000 people have been evacuated from flooded villages in Pakistan’s Punjab province, emergency services said on Wednesday.
Several hundred villages and thousands of acres of cropland in the central province were inundated when the Sutlej river burst its banks on Sunday.
Emergency services have been working to evacuate residents and livestock to higher ground.
“We have rescued 100,000 people and transferred them to safer places,” Farooq Ahmad, spokesman for the Punjab emergency services, told media.
The head of Punjab’s government, Mohsin Naqvi, said that monsoon rains had prompted authorities in India to release excess reservoir water into the Sutlej river, causing flooding downstream on the Pakistani side of the border.
Officials on the Indian side could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Punjab disaster management agency warned that forecasted monsoon rains could exacerbate the flooding in the coming days.
Pakistan is still struggling to recover from the devastating floods that inundated nearly one-third of the country in 2022, affecting more than 33 million people.
Meanwhile, Punjab is also on high alert as water levels in Sutlej river rise. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab issued a flood warning due to the possibility of further increase in water level in River Sutlej due to rains occurred in upper catchments during the last 24 hours.
According to Director General PDMA Imran Qureshi instructed the administration of the districts adjacent to the Sutlej to remain alert and deploy sufficient staff round-the-clock for effective coordination and response. He also asked them to collect and share latest information in line with national and provincial authorities.
Rescue 1122 has also been directed to remain on high alert and ensure sufficient emergency response personnel and equipment during the period.
The PDMA has advised the people living in low-lying areas to remain cautious and evacuate to safer places if necessary. They have also been asked to stay away from river banks and other water bodies.
The PDMA has set up a control room to monitor the situation and provide updates. People can call the control room at 042-99204409 for more information.
