Catastrophic floods from the River Sutlej have wreaked havoc across Kasur district in Punjab, Pakistan, submerging over 30 villages and destroying 3,000 acres of crops, including rice, maize, and millet. Protective embankments at Walewala and Arifki collapsed, allowing floodwaters to surge into homes and farmlands, cutting off ground connections and displacing hundreds of families. India’s sudden release of water from its dams, coupled with heavy monsoon rains, triggered the crisis, with authorities warning of further flooding in the next 48 hours.

India’s High Commission in Islamabad issued a flood alert on August 24, 2025, under the Indus Waters Treaty, warning Pakistan of potential water discharges from the Bhakra, Pong, and Thein dams, which had reached 61%, 76%, and 64% capacity, respectively. This followed heavy rainfall in India’s Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh, where precipitation was nearly three times the norm, swelling the Sutlej’s flow. At Ganda Singh Wala, water levels exceeded 21.3 feet with a flow of 160,000 cusecs, a high flood level not seen in decades. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) predicts up to 72 villages could be affected, with floodwaters already severing communication routes.

The district administration imposed Section 144, banning access to riverbanks to prevent drownings. Rescue 1122 and Pakistan Army units have evacuated over 5,400 people, relocating them to relief camps set up in local schools. These camps provide food, medical care, and shelter, but many residents, stranded on rooftops, face dire conditions as floodwaters inundate homes. In Burewala, Bahawalpur, and Bahawalnagar, breaches in protective dykes have submerged additional villages, with crops like cotton and sesame also underwater.