More Water Released by India Puts Millions at Risk in Punjab and Sindh

Flood concerns in Pakistan deepened on Monday after another massive inflow of water from India entered the country through Rangpur, submerging villages and disrupting road networks in Sindh.

According to official forecasts, nearly one million cusecs of water will reach Head Panjnad between September 2 and 3, while Guddu Barrage is expected to receive 800,000 to 1.1 million cusecs between September 5 and 6. The fresh inflow from across the border has amplified fears of a large-scale flood disaster in southern Pakistan.

In Dadu district, the rising waters flooded three union councils in the riverine belt, forcing people to evacuate in boats. More than 30 villages in UC Sial, Munder, and Pat Sharif have been submerged, leaving residents without food or clean water. In Khairpur, the deluge wiped out several villages and even destroyed 11 police stations, forcing officers to relocate operations to embankments.

The Sindh Education Department has designated over 1,000 schools in Larkana as relief camps, with nearly 33,000 people expected to be sheltered across Larkana, Ratodero, Bakrani, and Dokri.

Punjab is also bracing for the impact of inflows from India. The provincial flood commissioner confirmed that 2.3 million people in more than 2,200 villages have already been hit. At Trimmu Headworks, water flow surged to 700,000 cusecs by Monday evening, with forecasts warning of another surge at Head Marala in the coming days.

High flood levels were also recorded in the Sutlej and Ravi rivers near Bloki, where rescue teams are evacuating families by boats. In Jhang, floodwaters from the Chenab submerged highways and key routes, including Sargodha Road, Pakkewala Bypass, and Pir Kot Masan Road.

The Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a high flood warning at Harike (Sutlej), putting multiple districts—including Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Muzaffargarh—on high alert.

Rescue teams remain deployed, but officials warn that the continued flow of water from India could worsen the crisis, leaving Sindh and Punjab vulnerable to one of the deadliest floods in recent years.