LAHORE, September 23, 2025 — Nearly two weeks after the Sutlej River breached embankments, thousands of residents in Multan, Lodhran, and Bahawalpur districts remain homeless, their villages still submerged under standing water.
Locals in three southern districts complain their houses still under water due to govt failure to plug breaches. https://t.co/TnQARGae4H
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) September 23, 2025
Communities in Noraja Bhutta, Bahadurpur, Basti Lang, Kanu, Dipal, Tarut Basharat, Belaywala, Dunyapur, and Muradpur Soiwala are living in makeshift shelters along riverbanks as floodwaters refuse to recede. Locals say government efforts to plug the breaches have not fully restored safety.
Muhammad Bakhsh, a resident of Basti Lang, warned that “water is rising again, and another medium flood is expected within days.” Others accused authorities of prioritising infrastructure like the M-5 Motorway bridge while villages remained submerged.
Government Response
Punjab Irrigation Chief Engineer Nawaz Bajwa confirmed that three major breaches at Noraja Bhutta were plugged to protect Jalalpur Pirwala and critical gas pipelines. Provincial Irrigation Minister Kazim Pirzada admitted the devastation was severe, with 70% of Alipur and 90% of Jalalpur Pirwala affected. Relief teams are working to deliver supplies in Sultanpur, Shahbazpur, and Seetpur, he said.
Current River Flows
According to PDMA Punjab, river levels are stabilising: Sutlej is flowing at 95,000 cusecs at Ganda Singh Wala and 81,000 cusecs at Sulemanki, while Panjnad Headworks recorded 118,000 cusecs. Other rivers, including the Chenab and Ravi, show declining flows.
Despite official claims of improvement, stranded families say they are still waiting for water to drain — and for help to rebuild their lives.
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