The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Monday issued a warning of continued monsoon rains across the province until July 25, with a heightened risk of urban flooding and rising water levels in major rivers.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), rain and thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds are expected in the southern parts of Punjab, Sindh, eastern Balochistan, Malakand and Hazara divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
The PDMA said Punjab is now entering a fourth spell of monsoon rains, which is forecast to be “slightly more powerful” than previous ones.
Rain has been predicted for multiple urban and rural districts, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiat, Attock, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Gujarat, Jhelum, and Gujranwala.
Other areas expected to receive showers include Faisalabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Sargodha, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, and Multan.
The PDMA confirmed low-level flooding in the Indus River at Tarbela, Kala Bagh, and Chashma. Authorities have been placed on high alert, and instructions have been issued to deputy commissioners to remain in the field.
Section 144 has been imposed along riverbanks and canals, with police directed to enhance patrolling in vulnerable areas.
The PDMA has also ordered drainage operations in low-lying and flood-prone areas to be intensified. Relevant departments, including WASA, Rescue 1122, and local administrations, have been told to ensure machinery and staff remain deployed at choke points. Disposal stations are to remain functional at all times.
The ongoing monsoon has already taken a deadly toll on the province. Since June 25, at least 123 people have lost their lives and 462 others have been injured due to rain-related incidents, including urban flooding and building collapses. Of these, 71 fatalities occurred in the past 48 hours alone, according to the PDMA.
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