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       NAROWAL/SAHIWAL/KASUR: Sixty-one people, including women and children, trapped in the floodwater of the Ravi were rescued after India released more water into the river.

       Rescue 1122 of Narowal district also rescued four Rangers personnel trapped in the flood on the Pakistan-India border.

       Engineer Muhammad Aurangzeb, the district emergency officer Narowal, told Dawn that the control room had received a phone call from village Dawood Bhani. According to the caller, children, women and men were trapped in a sudden flood in the Ravi. In response to the call, rescue teams and ambulances reached the spot in the border area.

       The DEO said Amir, Muhammad Ali, Waris, Gulzar Ahmed, Hassan Raza, Farid Ahmed, Shahid, Karamat Ali, Kulsoom Bibi, Asiya Bibi, Kausar Parveen, Muhammad Ahmed, Atif Ali and Murtaza Ali, were trapped in the flood. He said all 21 men, 20 women and 16 children were rescued.

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       Mr Aurangzeb said the rescue control room had received another phone call from the border and the caller informed about the Rangers personnel trapped at the Riaz Shaheed Company on the border.

       Deputy Commissioner Syed Hassan Raza told Dawn the district administration had set up 14 rescue posts and medical camps, flood relief camps, livestock camps and other arrangements had been completed.

       He added that the control room of the district administration Narowal was monitoring the River Ravi and the rainwater for 24 hours. He said that teams of district administration are alerted to deal with the any flood situation.

       In Sahiwal, a high level flood inundated vast stretches of the riverine area along the Sutlej, displacing over 2,400 villagers and 500 livestock in the past 24 hours.

       More than 85 villages were flooded in districts of Okara, Pakpattan and Bahawalnagar.

       The local people said water had been constantly rising during the last 24 hours. Flood Forecasting Division, Lahore, predicted “very heavy to exceptionally heavy rainfall in Kashmir and Rajasthan, allowing heavy flow of rainwater downstream of Bhakra and Pong dams. It would bring exceptionally high flood to Sutlej at Ganda Singh.

       Rescue teams from adjacent rural localities in Pakpattan and Bahawalnagar districts are working round the clock to evacuate families trapped in low-lying areas.

       Deputy Commissioner Asif Raza said more than 13 relief camps were operational and vaccination drives were being carried out for animals and humans.

       Rescuers from both districts are using over 4,000 boats for massive evacuation efforts. Rescue teams are facing difficulties in convincing the villagers to move out of their localities as a heavy flood would hit their area tonight.

       There were social media rumours that some people had drowned in the Sutlej. But DC Asif Raza rejected the reports.

       Eyewitnesses said that nearly 40km area of the river belt, from Pir Ghani to Irazi Bali Dilawar, was now submerged by floodwater.

       Villagers from Maza Bara, Basti Dhola, Amirain Aloka, Noora Aloka, Sado Hyder, and surrounding areas are among the worst affected.

       Pakpattan District Emergency Officer Dr Ahmed Raza confirmed that floodwater had spread into rural riverine beds of Okara, Pakpattan, and Bahawalnagar.

       Mursaleen, tehsil emergency officer, Arifwala, emphasized the scale of operations, noting the relentless efforts of rescuers working day and night.

       The DC said it’s hard for the administration to convince the rural communities to move out of their places, stressing the need for more campaigns.

       In village Kund Naan Singh, residents turned to social media to plead for help, sharing videos of floodwaters entering their homes and fields.

       “No government official warned us,” said one villager and added that “The water reached our doorstep before any notice came.”

       In Kasur, the district administration is ready to deal with the flood and the PDMA issued a red alert after India released more water into Sutlej.

       In the wake of the current situation, the administration has started forced eviction. Rescue 1122 evacuated 595 people and 101 animals from villages on Monday that were cut off from the rest of the area. So far, 2,281 people and 1,068 animals have been shifted to safer places.

       According to Rescue 1122, 169 rescuers with 64 boats were working in the flood that hit villages at Ganda Singh.

       On the other hand, torrential rain that started at about 6am was going on when this report was filed. Khara Road, Kot Peeran, Qatal Gari Chowk, Kot Murad Khan, Sahari Road, Baldia Chowk, Qadirabad, Naz Cinema Chowk and Lorry Adda Chowk were inundated by waist-level flood water.

       Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2025