KASUR/NAROWAL: Flood victims of the Sutlej were dismayed on Wednesday when the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) once again issued an alert about rise in water level at Harike and Ferozpur which will affect nine districts of Punjab, including Kasur.

This news has dashed the hopes of thousands of displaced families who had just begun to see the floodwaters recede over the past 48 hours.

The water level at Ganda Singh Headworks had dropped by nearly 100,000 cusecs in a single day, bringing the reading down to 182,188 cusecs. Although this still qualifies as an extremely high flood level, the decrease in water and monsoon rains had allowed some roads in six villages near the headworks to become passable again. However, the district administration has not yet allowed residents to return home.

During a press conference, Deputy Commissioner Imran Ali confirmed that rescue teams remain on high alert. He said the administration is continuing to evacuate people and is working to distribute food and fodder to affected communities. The DC also lamented that non-flood victims from nearby villages have been taking relief bags and other items meant for those most in need.

Sialkot loses land link with 85 Bajwat villages

He said the weeks-long flooding has caused a massive loss of crops, property, and livestock. He assured that teams would be formed to assess the damage once the river returns to a normal level.

Meanwhile, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan visited the DC office on Wednesday and reviewed the arrangements. He asked the administration to leave no stone unturned in mitigating the sufferings of the flood victims. He also assured that the affected people were on top priority of the government and it was standing shoulder to shoulder with the flood-tossed, including farmers.

NAROWAL: A temporary bridge built on the river Tavi has collapsed due to passage of heavy traffic, cutting off the land connection between 85 villages in the Bajwat sector with Sialkot.

The original bridge on the River Tavi was swept away around a fortnight ago after release of floodwater by India and due to heavy rains in the occupied Kashmir.

On the instructions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the Sialkot district administration had constructed a temporary bridge on the River Tavi a week ago for the convenience of the residents of the 85 villages in Bajwat sector.

However, the temporary bridge collapsed on Wednesday morning when a tractor-trolley, loaded with 6,000 bricks, was crossing it.

Due to the bridge collapse, the traffic movement between these 85 villages and Sialkot has been suspended and the area has once again lost the land connection with Sialkot.

Two locals, Naeem and Arif Hussain, say that the temporary bridge built just a week ago was the only land connection between the 85 villages, including Bajwat, with Sialkot.

They deplore that the collapse of the temporary bridge has suspended the movement of thousands of people living in these villages, including government employees, traders and workers employed in different factories in Sialkot, who are facing difficulties in reaching their respective workplaces.

Sialkot Deputy Commissioner Saba Asghar Ali told Dawn that the temporary bridge collapsed due to heavy traffic and it would be repaired and restored by Thursday (today).

The locals have demanded that the chief minister should take immediate notice of the situation and ensure reconstruction of the Tavi bridge as soon as possible to resume the transportation of the residents of the 85 villages to Sialkot.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2025