Floodwaters have wreaked havoc across Pakistan’s Punjab province in September 2025, leaving a trail of devastation, displacement, and tragedy. As the sun rose on Friday, September 12, the scale of the disaster became clear: 97 people dead, over 2.45 million affected, and entire villages submerged beneath a relentless tide. While some residents found a glimmer of hope as waters began to recede in key areas, countless others remained trapped, cut off, or in desperate need of aid.
According to Dawn News, the government’s evacuation and relief operations are ongoing across central and southern Punjab, where exceptionally high flood levels persist between the Panjnad confluence of the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers and the Guddu Barrage in Sindh. Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabil Javaid described the situation starkly, calling it the “biggest flood in history.” He reported that 2.45 million people from 4,500 villages had been directly affected, with 1.9 million cattle moved to safer ground in a race against the rising waters.
In the town of Jalalpur Pirwala, home to some 700,000 people, a sense of relief began to settle in on Friday as floodwaters that had threatened to engulf the area started to recede. The Disaster Management Authority told the Associated Press that water levels, which had reached the official danger mark, were now falling and expected to drop significantly within 48 hours. “We hope that within 48 hours, the floodwaters of the Chenab and Sutlej rivers will recede further, enabling displaced people to return,” said Mazhar Hussain, a spokesman for the authority.
But for many, that hope was tempered by the realities unfolding just miles away. In the nearby towns of Shujaabad and Liaquatpur, rising waters swamped villages, forcing panicked evacuations. Rescue workers raced against time to move families to safety as swollen rivers submerged homes and farmland. The disaster’s reach was vast: flooding last week alone inundated dozens of villages near Jalalpur Pirwala, displacing tens of thousands of people. Many residents fled with little more than the clothes on their backs, having been warned that surging water from the Sutlej and Chenab could soon submerge their homes entirely.
The root causes of this year’s catastrophe are both familiar and complex. According to the Associated Press, the flooding was triggered by a combination of heavy monsoon rains and water released from dams in India. The result has been the inundation of more than 4,000 villages, the displacement of 2.4 million people, and over 4.5 million affected across Punjab since last month. The death toll in Punjab alone has approached 100, with the nationwide toll since late June surpassing 950 lives lost.
As the deluges now head toward southern Sindh province—a region still haunted by the catastrophic 2022 floods that killed 1,739 people—authorities are scrambling to prevent further loss. In Sindh, the Indus River overflowed near the Dadu-Moro Bridge, submerging more than 30 villages and displacing large numbers of residents. The rising waters have triggered outbreaks of waterborne and other infectious diseases, prompting the establishment of medical camps and the deployment of mobile ambulances and boats to assist those stranded.
On the ground, the challenges are immense. Residents of flood-hit areas have faced widespread electricity and mobile service outages, leaving them isolated from authorities and relatives. Malik Riaz, a resident of Seetpur, told Dawn News, “I have been without food and water for the last two days and the drone delivery provided much-needed relief.” He added that hand pumps were emitting dirty water, which was unsafe for drinking. Such accounts are all too common, as families struggle to find clean water, food, and shelter amid the chaos.
Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has been a visible presence in several flood-hit areas, visiting breach sites and directing officials to seal them. She also declared Alipur tehsil a calamity-hit area and monitored relief operations there. Residents praised Aurangzeb for ensuring a steady supply of food, medicines, and other essentials. In Jalalpur Pirwala, she offered reassurance to anxious locals: “We will ensure that we rescue each and every person.” According to the Associated Press, she further promised that the government has deployed additional boats and that no one would be left behind.
But the rescue efforts have not been without tragedy. This week, 18 people were killed when two evacuation boats overturned in the flood-hit districts of Jalalpur Pirwala and Rahim Yar Khan. In response, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif visited flood-affected Liaqatpur, praised the work of rescue and disaster management teams, and ordered that life jackets and life rings be made mandatory in all rescue operations to prevent further loss of life.
For the displaced, the ordeal is far from over. Many families are living in relief camps or under the open sky, with misery only beginning to ease as waters slowly recede. Some, like 50-year-old Naseem Mai, have harrowing stories. “I never thought the water would inundate my village,” she told the Associated Press, recalling how she fled with her children as water rose to the rooftops. “We escaped with only the clothes we were wearing.” Like many, Mai and other displaced people complained of shortages of clothing and basic supplies, with women washing and reusing the only garments they have.
In the early days of the flood, private boat owners reportedly demanded steep fees for evacuation, even charging for infants—a fact that left survivors frustrated and angry. The government has since stepped in to deploy additional boats and ensure free rescue for all, but the scars of those first chaotic hours remain.
As the immediate threat in some areas recedes, a new challenge emerges: rebuilding. Displaced families are urging the government to allow them to keep their tents once the water subsides, as they will need shelter while they repair or rebuild their homes. The scale of destruction is daunting, with hundreds of acres of standing crops destroyed and livelihoods upended.
Medical teams and relief workers continue their efforts, establishing mobile camps and using boats to reach stranded residents. In Sindh, the situation remains precarious as the Indus continues to swell and more villages face inundation. The specter of disease looms large, with health officials warning of outbreaks in overcrowded camps and waterlogged communities.
Pakistan’s 2025 floods have once again laid bare the country’s vulnerability to climate extremes, infrastructure challenges, and the urgent need for coordinated disaster response. As the nation mourns its dead and begins the long road to recovery, the resilience of its people stands out—whether in the quiet heroism of rescue workers, the determination of families to survive, or the simple act of sharing what little they have with neighbors in need.
The days ahead will test that resilience even further, as authorities work to restore services, rebuild dykes, and help millions return not just to their homes, but to a sense of normalcy that, for now, feels heartbreakingly out of reach.