ISLAMABAD: Authorities have moved nearly 100,000 people to safety from villages affected by flooding in River Sutlej in Pakistan's Punjab since last week, the provincial disaster management authority (PDMA) said on Monday, as raging water torrents breached dykes in southern parts of the province.

The river, traversing both northern India and Pakistan, has witnessed a significant surge in water level following New Delhi's release of hundreds of thousands of cusecs from reservoirs due to the ongoing monsoon season.      

Hundreds of villages in low-lying areas along the Sutlej river in Kasur, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan, Vehari and Bahawalpur districts have been affected by floods since August 17, according to the PDMA. Authorities have set up 178 relief camps and 95 medical camps to facilitate the affected masses in these districts.  

"Around 100,000 people have so far been shifted to safer places," PDMA Director-General Imran Qureshi said in a statement. "More than 36,000 people have been provided treatment, while 70,000 affectees have been provided cooked food in these districts."  

Authorities have also moved 25,000 cattle to safer locations, according to the PDMA.  

On Sunday, residents panicked in Bahawalpur and adjacent areas as raging water torrents breached protective dykes along the river, according to local media reports. The PDMA said it was closely monitoring the situation.  

Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed said the relief operation would continue until these areas were fully drained.  

"All resources are being used for restoration of flood-affected areas," he said. "I am satisfied with the performance of rescue organizations."  

Pakistan is currently witnessing monsoon rains that began in late June. The showers have triggered flash floods in several areas and claimed 213 lives so far this year, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).    

Authorities have mobilized hundreds of boats and rescue personnel to assist the administration in rescue efforts.    

The rains have returned a year after climate-induced downpours swelled rivers and inundated at one point a third of the South Asian country, killing 1,739 people. The floods also caused $30 billion damages in 2022.