Massive flooding in the Sutlej River has turned parts of Punjab into a disaster zone after India released a huge flow of water downstream. Entire villages, crops, and roads have been swallowed by the flood, forcing hundreds of families to leave everything behind.
At Ganda Singh Wala, water levels surged past 122,000 cusecs, sweeping away livestock and damaging cotton, rice, and sesame fields across Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar. Heartbreaking scenes emerged of residents wading through waist-deep water, clutching essentials as they abandoned homes built over generations.
Relief teams are on the ground, but the damage is widespread. Roads like Chishtian–Sahuka have been cut off, isolating rural communities. Farmers say years of hard work have been washed away overnight.
The situation in Pakistan’s rivers is alarming. The Sutlej is on high flood, Chenab faces medium-to-low level alerts, and the Indus at Guddu and Sukkur Barrages is already under pressure. Tarbela Dam is nearly at capacity, and Mangla is close to its limit. Officials warn things could get worse if more water is released upstream.
Beyond the flooding, this crisis has stirred tensions with India again. After months of silence since the May 2025 conflict, New Delhi finally shared a flood warning last week — its first official contact with Islamabad in months. The two countries have clashed repeatedly over the Indus Waters Treaty, but despite wars and hostilities, the 1960 agreement has always managed to hold.
For now, rescue efforts continue, and families wait anxiously, hoping the water levels will recede before more lives and livelihoods are lost.
