Torrential rainfall has wreaked havoc in Gujrat, submerging villages and triggering urban flooding that left large swathes of the city under water, as Punjab grapples with widespread inundation from surging rivers.
Gujrat received a record 577 millimetres of rainfall on Wednesday, causing stormwater drains to overflow, inundating nearby villages and damaging crops. The downpour also flooded the district jail and the sessions court premises.
With water accumulating inside the court complex, several prisoners were shifted to facilities in Lahore and Gujranwala.
According to the Gujranwala Commissioner, Gujrat received 577mm of rain in 24 hours, resulting in multiple areas being submerged and villages inundated.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has said that heavy water flows were surging across major rivers and headworks in Punjab, amplifying fears of large-scale flooding downstream.
In the latest update on Thursday, PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said that rescue efforts in Gujrat were facing challenges due to the heavy rains. However, he said, that the unusual scale of rain in Gujrat was not new as the area often receives heavy downpours.
He added that the next 24 hours were critical for Multan as flood levels remained dangerously high in the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers.
While giving details of the situation at major locations, the PDMA DG said that the flow at Marala Headworks on the River Chenab had reached 247,000 cusecs, while at Khanki Headworks the flow had risen to 526,000 cusecs.
At Qadirabad Headworks, water discharge has climbed to 530,000 cusecs, and at Chiniot Bridge, the flow stands at 494,000 cusecs. At Trimmu Headworks, the flow has reached 253,000 cusecs.
On the River Ravi, PDMA reported flows of 82,000 cusecs at Jassar, 98,000 cusecs at Siphon, and 97,400 cusecs at Shahdara.
At Balloki Headworks, the discharge is 121,600 cusecs, and at Sidhnai Headworks, it has reached nearly 140,000 cusecs.
The River Sutlej is also witnessing significant inflows, with 319,295 cusecs recorded at Ganda Singh Wala, 132,492 cusecs at Sulaimanki Headworks, and 95,727 cusecs at Islam Headworks.
At Panjnad Headworks, the flow currently stands at 169,032 cusecs, PDMA stated.
Multiple rivers in Punjab, including Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab are witnessing increased water flow due to torrential rains coupled with the water discharge from India.
Nearly 900 people have been killed in various flood-related incidents across the country since late June, while also causing widespread damage to infrastructure and properties.
With vast swathes of land left inundated in floodwaters in Punjab, Sindh is also preparing for a possible super flood as the water flowing in the rising rivers is set to enter the region in a few days.
