Authorities in Punjab have decided to carry out a controlled breach at the Sher Shah embankment in Multan to divert rising waters of the Chenab River, as southern districts continue to reel from devastating floods that have displaced hundreds of thousands of people.
According to the irrigation department, a flow of over 540,000 cusecs from Trimmu is expected to reach Multan’s limits in the coming days, with water levels at Sher Shah already recorded at 400,000 cusecs.
Officials confirmed that nearby settlements had been alerted and evacuation announcements were underway.
“Riverbed areas have already been inundated, and the breach is being carried out due to a lack of further capacity to contain the water,” an irrigation official said.
City Police Officer Sadiq Ali Dogar said rail and road traffic would be suspended after the breach. “Rail traffic on the Multan–Kundian–Rawalpindi route will be halted, while Muzaffargarh Road will also be closed.
Residents in low-lying settlements must evacuate immediately to avoid a situation similar to Jalalpur Pirwala,” he warned.
PDMA sounds alarm for Multan
Director General of Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Irfan Ali Kathia said that Multan has been under flood pressure for the last 48 hours. “The next two days will not be easy,” he said, noting that emergency teams, including 50 additional boats and five drones, had been deployed for rescue operations.
The NDMA’s National Emergency Operations Centre has issued rain alerts for Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan over the next 12–24 hours, warning of urban flooding in low-lying areas, river overflows, and landslides in hilly regions.
Heavy rainfall is forecast for Multan, Layyah, Khanewal, Vehari, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan, while Sindh districts including Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Tharparkar and Umerkot have also been placed on alert. In Balochistan, rain with thunderstorms is expected in Zhob, Loralai, Khuzdar, Dera Bugti and Lasbela.
Boat capsizes in Rahim Yar Khan
In Rahim Yar Khan’s Moza Noor Wala, a boat carrying flood victims capsized late Monday, leaving five people dead, according to district officials. Pakistan Army divers recovered the bodies of two women and a man, while the search continues for two others. More than 20 people were reportedly on board.
Separately, four people drowned in Jalalpur Pirwala’s Chak 86-M. Locals recovered two bodies on their own and complained no rescue boat reached the site.
Mass evacuations and relief operations
Rescue 1122 reported that 2,343 people were evacuated from Multan in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of rescued individuals to 10,810 so far. The district administration says 350,000 people and more than 300,000 animals have been shifted in advance.
Floodwaters have already inundated 100 villages in Jalalpur Pirwala, where breaches in local embankments submerged houses. Pressure on Multan’s urban dam remains critical, with authorities working round the clock to reinforce it.
In Jhang, tent settlements for flood victims have been washed away due to continuous rains, while in Muzaffargarh, high flood levels in the Chenab have submerged hundreds of villages.
Dams at full capacity
Meanwhile, Tarbela Dam has reached 100% storage capacity at 1,550 feet, while Mangla Dam stands at 90% capacity (1,232.95 feet). Other dams including Khanpur, Rawal and Simli are also nearing full levels, raising concerns of additional flooding if heavy rains persist.
The inflows and outflows of Punjab’s major waterways recorded on Tuesday showed 609,669 cusecs at Panjnad and 543,000 cusecs at Trimmu, highlighting the immense pressure on river systems.
