Over 1,400 villages submerged; fears of disease outbreak as hospitals declare emergency
Kamanwala, a small village near Sialkot, lies devastated. “The whole house has drowned. The water left nothing,” said 24-year-old Salim, standing where his family’s belongings once were. His village is among more than 1,400 across Punjab province submerged after three major rivers—the Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi—burst their banks following relentless monsoon rains and water releases from Indian dams.
Rising Waters, Rising Fears
The catastrophe has sparked urgent health concerns. Punjab’s chief minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, declared an emergency in hospitals, warning of outbreaks of cholera, hepatitis, and snakebite poisoning. In Sialkot, even the Phalku River swelled over, destroying homes within hours.
For families like Salim’s, recovery is daunting. “This is the first time in my life that this much flood water has come,” said his father, 60-year-old laborer Sayed Muhamad. With no electricity, gas, or clean water for days, he estimates losses at nearly 500,000 rupees (£1,300)—a sum impossible to recoup amid Pakistan’s crushing inflation and economic crisis.
A Nation on the Climate Frontline
Pakistan, responsible for less than 0.1% of global emissions, remains among the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations. This year’s monsoon—erratic, violent, and unpredictable—has once again left the government scrambling.
Warnings from New Delhi came days earlier, but the scale of devastation has been enormous: nearly 300,000 people evacuated, dams forced to overflow, and over 800 lives lost nationwide since June, most in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Punjab’s Breadbasket Underwater
In Punjab—home to half of Pakistan’s 255 million people and the country’s agricultural heartland—entire villages lie underwater. The Chenab River has risen so high it nearly touches railway bridges and surges dangerously close to electricity pylons.
Medical teams on the ground report alarming conditions. “Fungal and skin infections are everywhere,” said Dr. Bilal Siddiq of Sahara Foundation. “We’re also seeing diarrhoea, gastric illnesses, and malaria.” In villages like Naik Wadi Chownk, families survive without aid, with children swimming in stagnant sewage-mixed floodwater under 30°C heat.
Strained Systems, Local Resilience
Sialkot, known for its entrepreneurial spirit and Pakistan’s only privately built international airport, now highlights the failures of local governance. Despite a $250m Asian Development Bank project to overhaul sewers, blocked drains and poor waste management worsened the flooding.
“The drainage system has rotted because the local government isn’t cleaning or de-silting drains,” said Khawar Anwar Khawaja, former Sialkot airport chief.
Yet where government response lags, community action rises. Volunteer groups like the Sherzan Foundation deliver cooked meals, milk, and clean water—using tractors to navigate submerged streets.
For families marooned in silence, this lifeline is all they have. “No one came to help us until today,” said Shabana Zubair, a mother of five. Her food stores—flour, rice, chickpeas
