Rising Chenab Puts Multan’s Jalalpur Pirwala on Edge

MULTAN / LAHORE – Floodwaters from the Chenab River surged into Multan district’s Jalalpur Pirwala tehsil on Sunday, forcing mass evacuations and leaving parts of the town under water. With nearly half a million people at risk, authorities scrambled to move residents to safety as the situation worsened.

City Police Officer Sadiq Ali Dogar confirmed that several low-lying neighborhoods had already been inundated and warned that the town could be completely submerged overnight. Helicopters were brought in to reach stranded families, while dozens of additional rescue boats were deployed.

Resistance to Diversion Plan

Officials privately admitted that an attempt to breach a bund and divert the floodwaters away from Jalalpur Pirwala failed after resistance from villagers who feared their own lands would be sacrificed. With the water now firmly inside city limits, that option has effectively closed.

Deadly Evacuation Mishaps

The evacuation drive itself turned deadly. A rescue boat carrying mostly women and children capsized in the Chenab after striking a tree in fast currents, killing at least five people — four of them children. Rescue teams said the water was nearly 20 feet deep where the boat overturned. Search efforts for more victims were continuing late Sunday.

In separate incidents, two more people drowned near Head Panjnad and Alipur while trying to return to flooded homes, bringing the total confirmed death toll in the Multan region to seven.

Despite the tragedies, officials said more than 9,000 residents had already been rescued, while some 350,000 people and 300,000 livestock had been evacuated in advance.

Downstream Threats

With the Chenab swelling, authorities issued urgent evacuation orders for downstream cities including Muzaffargarh, Alipur, and Jatoi. As of late Sunday night, the river system was registering dangerously high flows: Trimmu Headworks recorded 543,579 cusecs, while Panjnad surged to over 609,000 cusecs.

The flood threat wasn’t limited to Chenab. Extremely high flows were also reported in the Sutlej at G.S. Wala (319,295 cusecs), with multiple headworks across Punjab recording levels classified as “very high” or “exceptionally high.”

Forecast: More Rain, More Floods

The Meteorological Department warned that fresh downpours would intensify the crisis. Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is expected in Sindh through September 10, with flash floods predicted in Balochistan and landslides in northern hilly regions.

Punjab is also bracing for widespread showers across major cities, including Multan, Bahawalpur, and Lahore, until September 9. The Met office cautioned that urban flooding and new surges in already swollen rivers remain likely.

Government Response

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed officials to maintain uninterrupted fuel supplies to flood-hit regions, a critical step as rescue and relief operations rely heavily on transport and generators. The Punjab Disaster Management Authority said it had mobilized army helicopters and civil aviation assets, stressing that coordination between agencies was ongoing.

For now, Jalalpur Pirwala sits at the heart of Pakistan’s latest flood emergency — a town caught between swelling rivers, resistance to sacrifice in rural areas, and the looming arrival of yet more rain.