Torrential monsoon rains in northern India caused reservoirs to swell dangerously last week, leading Indian authorities to release more than 135,000 cusecs of water into the Sutlej River — without adequate prior notice to Pakistan, officials said.
The sudden release inundated vast areas of Pakistani Punjab’s border regions, devastating crops and displacing thousands.
In Pakistan, deluging waters surged across the border at Ganda Singh Wala in Kasur district, overflowing riverbanks and sweeping into surrounding villages. From Kasur, floodwaters traveled downstream to Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Vehari, and Lodhran, submerging nearly 400 villages.
Standing crops — particularly cotton, sugarcane, maize, and vegetables — have been destroyed, causing billions of rupees in agricultural losses. Farmers in Punjab’s fertile belt now face crippling financial uncertainty.
According to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority covering during the period from 13:00 on 23 August to 13:00 on 24 August it closely tracked the evolving flood scenario and coordinating relief operations at the federal level.
In a recent alert, the NDMA said “there is a risk of low-level flooding at Ganda Singh Wala due to possible water release from India. All departments and response teams must remain vigilant and proactive in preparedness.”
Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Punjab had warned on August 11 that India could release water into the Sutlej River within the next 72 hours, potentially causing a low-level flood along the banks of Ganda Singh Wala.
The authority flagged unusual rises in water levels in Indian dams and issued alerts to the commissioners and deputy commissioners of affected cities and districts—including Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Vehari, Lodhran, among others.
On Sunday, Deputy Commissioner Kasur confirmed that emergency evacuations were underway.
According to Rescue 1122’s district in-charge, Nayyer Alam, more than 24,000 families have been relocated to safer areas. Livestock — the primary asset of many rural families — have also been transported by boat to higher ground.
The Pakistan Army has joined civilian authorities in search and rescue operations, deploying troops and resources to support flood-hit communities. Military units remain on high alert across the southern Punjab belt.
Meanwhile, the district administration, in coordination with Rescue 1122, has established medical camps to provide emergency treatment for waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and malaria, which typically surge in post-flood conditions.
Pakistan has frequently accused India of releasing excessive water into rivers that flow downstream into Punjab without coordination, a practice that intensifies the impact of seasonal floods.
This year’s deluge has once again highlighted the fragile water management dynamics between the two neighbors as New Delhi has continued to keep the Indus Waters Treaty suspended since April.
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Kiran Asim is a writer who covers the U.S., Europe, South Asia, and the Middle East. Her reports and analyses look at the geostrategic issues and contemporary developments and their economic and political implications. She also writes about society and education.
