• Overflowing rivers continue to inundate Multan, Bahawalpur, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh and Khanewal
• Dozens of villages submerged; motorway, other thoroughfares blocked after controlled breaches fail to contain deluge
• Water levels at Panjnad drop, but dykes still overflowing
• PDMA issues alert for fresh spell of heavy monsoon rains; PMD warns of dengue outbreak

LAHORE/Islamabad: Flood­waters from the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers continued to inundate vast areas of Multan, Baha­walpur, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh and Khanewal districts on Monday, displacing thousands of people and damaging infrastructure.

Controlled breaches meant to divert the rivers’ flow have failed to contain the deluge, submerging dozens of villages and crippling major transport routes.

Authorities carried out a controlled breach at Noraja Bhutta Bund in Jalalpur Pirwala to ease pressure from the swelling Sutlej. However, the water surged towards Gillani Road, prompting a second breach that ultimately flooded both urban localities and rural settlements.

Floodwaters reached Sukkur-Multan Motorway, forcing its closure for the past two days. The Jalalpur Pirwala Interchange and surrounding areas are now underwater. Villages, including Noraja Bhutta, Mouza Kanu, Wasti Sardar Mir Chakar Khan, Sardarabad, Tar­anda Basharat and Rasoolpur, have been submerged. Union councils such as Chenab Rasoolpur and Khair­­pur Jadeed are also severely affected.

Rescue teams recovered the body of a 65-year-old man from Bahadar­pur, near the Jalalpur Interchange. In Alipur tehsil, the Azmatpur dyke continues to cause flooding in low-lying areas despite a significant drop in water levels at Panjnad Headworks from 700,000 to 296,000 cusecs.

Deputy Commissioner Waseem Hamid Sindhu said traffic was completely suspended from Multan to Uch Sharif due to the motorway being inundated. He added that the district administration was working to protect the Jalalpur Pirwala section of the motorway amid the worsening flood situation.

During his visit to the Jalalpur Interchange, National Highway Au­­thority and motorway officials brie­fed him on the condition of the rou­te. DC Sindhu said floodwater from the Gillani Road breach ent­e­red the motorway, leading to its complete closure between Multan and Uch Sharif. He added that urgent efforts were underway to seal the breach to prevent further damage.

He said water levels were receding at the flood embankments of Basti Inayatpur and Mauza Dhondhu, while flood relief camps had been established to provide necessary facilities to the displaced. According to him, water levels are expected to return to normal within the next 24 hours.

11th monsoon spell

Meanwhile, the Punjab Provin­cial Disaster Management Auth­ority (PDMA) issued an alert for the 11th spell of monsoon rains beginning today (Tuesday).

On Sept 18 and 19, an increase in water flow is expected in streams and nullahs of Rawalpindi, Murree and Galiyat. The PDMA has direc­ted all commissioners and deputy commissioners to remain alert as flooding risks persist in major cities.

The PDMA also released a flood damage report, with Relief Com­missioner Nabil Javaid saying that over 4,700 villages have been affected due to severe flooding in the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab rivers.

He said 2,484 villages have been inundated by the Chenab, 719 by the Sutlej and 1,458 by the Ravi. In total, 4.72 million people have been affected, with 2.564m evacuated to safe locations.

He added that 372 relief camps, 454 medical camps and 385 veterinary camps have been established in severely affected districts. About 2.07m animals have also been relocated during the rescue and relief operations.

According to the relief commissioner, Mangla Dam is 94 per cent full, Tarbela Dam has reached 100pc, while India’s Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej is 88pc full, Pong Dam 94pc and Thein Dam 88pc.

Dengue warning

Keeping in view past trends, the current and future climate outlook and the extensive flooding across the country, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of a favourable environment for a dengue outbreak.

Dengue fever has become a persistent threat to public health in Pakistan over the last decade, with major outbreaks reported during the post-monsoon season (Sept 20 to Dec 5).

In its dengue alert, the PMD stated that the combined impact of favourable weather thresholds and flood-related waterlogging has created conducive conditions for the onset of dengue from Sept 20.

Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Sukkur, Hyderabad and Multan, as well as flood-affected areas across the country, are at high risk of a severe dengue outbreak.

The PMD advised all stakeholders, including district administrations, health departments, and the general public, to immediately adopt pre-emptive measures to counter the risk of a dengue outbreak in vulnerable areas.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2025