ISLAMABAD: The overall death toll from monsoon rains in Pakistan since late June has risen to 985, officials said on Monday, as floodwaters receded in Punjab and continued their march downstream toward the southern Sindh province.
The flooding in Punajb, triggered by heavy monsoon rains and excess water released from Indian dams, has inundated thousands of villages, displaced millions, and is now consolidating into a flood wave moving down the Indus River system. Authorities say the pressure has shifted from Punjab, the country’s agricultural heartland and most populous province, toward Sindh, where the Guddu and Sukkur barrages — two of the main control points on the Indus — are bracing for high inflows in the coming days.
According to official figures, nationwide 985 deaths have occurred from flash floods, house collapses, landslides and other rain-related incidents since June 26 when this year’s monsoon season began. The northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province recorded the highest toll with 504 fatalities, followed by Punjab with 287, Sindh 80, Gilgit-Baltistan 41, Azad Kashmir 38, Balochistan 26 and Islamabad, the federal capital, nine.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority said Punjab alone has reported 104 deaths since late August as swollen rivers inundated thousands of villages.
“Due to severe flooding in the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers, more than 4,700 villages have been affected,” Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabil Javed was quoted as saying in a Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) report.
According to the PDMA, flooding in the Chenab affected 2,484 villages, in the Sutlej 719 villages, and in the Ravi 1,458 villages. Javed said around 4.72 million people had been affected in total, with 2.56 million evacuated to safer locations.
Authorities have set up 372 relief camps, 454 medical camps and 385 veterinary camps across affected districts, while nearly 2.07 million livestock have also been moved to safety.
The PDMA said water levels have “receded considerably” in Punjab’s Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab rivers, with most stations now in the normal to medium range. At Chenab’s Trimmu Headworks and at upstream points such as Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad, flows have returned to normal levels.
Panjnad, however, remains in a very high flood at 369,085 cusecs, though receding compared with its peak on September 11–12. Panjnad is the southern Punjab confluence where all five major rivers, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej, merge before joining the Indus River.
At Sindh’s Guddu Barrage, inflows were reported at 635,759 cusecs and outflows at 606,489 cusecs, with levels expected to rise to 650,000–700,000 cusecs by late September 15.
“The flood will remain across Sindh through September before sinking into the Arabian Sea by month’s end,” the PDMA said.
It warned that “current stress has shifted to Kandhkot, Ubaro, Kashmore, Ghotki, while proximity near Jamshoro, Qambar Shahdadkot and later Hyderabad–Thatta corridor will successively bear the downstream stress.”
The PDMA added that Sukkur Barrage was likely to receive 600,000 cusecs by September 17–18, with Kotri Barrage expected to see peak discharges of 400,000–450,000 cusecs by September 24–26. Sukkur is the largest irrigation barrage in Pakistan, while Kotri is the final control point before the Indus empties into the Arabian Sea.
Heavy rains and flooding have also caused power disruptions across Punjab.
The Ministry of Water and Power reported 51 grid stations and 543 feeders affected, with 309 feeders fully restored and 226 partially restored.
Pakistan’s recent flooding has revived memories of the 2022 deluge, which killed more than 1,700 people, displaced millions and caused damages of over $30 billion.
Despite contributing less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the South Asian country consistently ranks among the nations most vulnerable to climate change.
