2025 Punjab, Pakistan floods

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2025 Punjab, Pakistan floods
Date20 August 2025 – present
Location Chenab Ravi Sutlej Punjab, Pakistan
CauseHeavy Monsoon Rain
Deaths300 [1]
Property damageOver 8,400 villages and more than 2.2 million hectares of farmland flooded, ~5.10 million residents affected, 2,814,846 rescued. [2]

On 20 August 2025, the province of Punjab, Pakistan, along with three rivers, experienced the most severe floods since The 1988 Punjab floods. Triggered by unusually intense monsoon rains, and cross-border dam water releases, the floods devastated large areas, particularly along the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Contents

Causes

Record-breaking monsoon rainfall led to widespread flash floods and river overflows. [9] India’s opening of dam gates in Kashmir caused sudden downstream surges, prompting emergency flood alerts and evacuations in Punjab, Pakistan. [4] [10] [5]

Impact

Human toll

The floods claimed over 300 lives, in various districts of Punjab. [11] According to NDMA, displacement exceeded 4.7 Million people in Punjab with nearly 2.8 Million evacuated. [11] [12]

Regional damage

Kartarpur Sahib, a major Sikh pilgrimage site in Narowal, saw its ground floor flooded. [13] Over 300 Pilgrims were rescued by the Rescue 1122 and the Armed forces, the water levels reached heights of up to 10-12 feet but were largely removed once the flood waters receded [14]

Punjab, considered the breadbasket of Pakistan lost over 2.2 million hectares of farmland. [15] [16]

Response

Government actions

CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif ordered a major rescue operation, deploying army units across seven districts: Lahore, Narowal, Kasur, Sialkot, Okara, Faisalabad, and Sargodha. All provincial resources were mobilized. [17] [18]

Emergency measures included hospital preparedness, evacuation of residents and livestock, and relief coordination with Rescue 1122 and PDMA. [17] [18]

Evacuations & relief

Over 150,000 to 210,000 people were evacuated proactively following Indian flood alerts and domestic forecasting. [10] [5] [19] [20]

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.ndma.gov.pk/sitrepm-
  2. ↑ https://www.ndma.gov.pk/sitrepm
  3. ↑ "Pakistan is Facing Biggest Flood Since 1988".
  4. 1 2 Shahzad, Asif; Das, Krishna N.; Shahzad, Asif; Das, Krishna N. "India releases water from dams, warns rival Pakistan of cross-border flooding, says source". Reuters.
  5. 1 2 3 "Mass evacuations in eastern Pakistan as India releases water from swollen rivers". Associated Press News .
  6. ↑ Khan, Aina J. (30 August 2025). "'The water left nothing': Pakistan's Punjab province reels from deadly floods". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  7. ↑ Zia, um-Rahem; Pieter, Elien. "Punjab Floods Devastate Pakistan's Breadbasket". New York Times. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  8. ↑ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah; Hassan, Aakash; Baloch, Shah Meer (6 September 2025). "'Everything is gone': Punjabi farmers suffer worst floods in three decades". The Guardian.
  9. ↑ Bukhari, Fayaz; Shahzad, Asif; Das, Krishna N.; Shahzad, Asif; Das, Krishna N. "Heavy rains hit Himalayas, spread havoc in India and Pakistan". Reuters.
  10. 1 2 Bukhari, Mubasher; Shahzad, Asif; Shahzad, Asif. "Pakistan on 'exceptionally high' flooding alert, says India released water from dam". Reuters.
  11. 1 2 "National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)". www.ndma.gov.pk. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  12. ↑ "Thousands displaced as floods inundate further stretches in northeastern Pakistan". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  13. ↑ "Heavy rain, overflowing Ravi inundate Kartarpur Sahib". The Times of India.
  14. ↑ Mehmood, Asif (30 August 2025). "Kartarpur Gurdwara to reopen soon following restoration work". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  15. ↑ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah; Hassan, Aakash; Baloch, Shah Meer (6 September 2025). "'Everything is gone': Punjabi farmers suffer worst floods in three decades". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
  16. ↑ "'The needs are huge': Pakistan reels from floods as millions left homeless | UN News". news.un.org. 16 September 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  17. 1 2 "Punjab CM orders largest-ever rescue operation as army deployed in 7 districts amid floods | Pakistan Today".
  18. 1 2 "Maryam Nawaz reviews flood situation, orders resource mobilisation in Punjab".
  19. ↑ "Over 200,000 evacuated as Indian water release triggers floods in Pakistan".
  20. ↑ "Record floods displace millions in Punjab". The Express Tribune. 31 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
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