India contacts Pakistan amid high flood alert on Sutlej and Chenab

The Indian High Commissioner in Pakistan has contacted Pakistani authorities after warnings of high-level floods in the Sutlej River, officials confirmed on Monday.

The development comes as Punjab braces for one of the worst flood waves in years, with rivers Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej swelling to alarming levels.

Indian envoy briefed on high flood risk

According to the Joint Commissioner Indus Water, massive water inflows are expected to enter Pakistan from Harike and Ferozepur, threatening major flooding in Sutlej. The official has already sent a letter to Islamabad, warning of severe risks in the coming days.

Pakistani officials said the Indian envoy was formally briefed on the situation. Four provincial chief secretaries and other relevant authorities have also been alerted to the looming threat.

At Head Trimmu, the Chenab River recorded an inflow of 479,000 cusecs, placing it in the “extremely high flood” category. Meanwhile, authorities have also decided to block traffic on Head Trimmu.

PDMA officials warn that the flow may rise to 700,000 cusecs by evening, putting downstream areas including Jhang, Multan, and Muzaffargarh at severe risk.

The flood surge has already displaced thousands, inundated hundreds of villages, and destroyed vast stretches of farmland.

PDMA issues flood alert for Punjab rivers, urban centres

The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Sunday issued a high-level flood alert as the rivers Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab, along with their adjoining drains, continued to swell following heavy rains in the upper catchment areas.

According to the PDMA spokesperson, a “very high” level of flooding is being witnessed in parts of the Sutlej and Chenab, particularly at Ganda Singh Wala and Trimmu Headworks, while water levels in the Ravi are also rising. The situation, officials warned, is likely to persist until September 5.

The PDMA further cautioned that heavy rainfall in the upper reaches of the rivers until September 3 could trigger urban flooding in Lahore, Gujranwala, and Gujrat over the next 72 hours.