Flood Survivors Return to Homes in Pakistan’s Eastern Punjab as Waters Recede

Displaced families in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province began returning to their homes on Monday after floodwaters that swelled rivers across the region receded, officials said, even as rescue and relief operations continued in hard-hit districts.

Provincial authorities said the deluge — driven by weeks of heavy monsoon rains and increased river flows following water releases upstream — inundated more than 4,500 villages and displaced over 2.5 million people in eastern Punjab. About 100 people were reported killed in those areas; nationwide, Pakistan’s authorities say more than 950 people have died in flooding since late June.

Irfan Ali Kathia, director general of the provincial disaster authority, said water levels at Panjnad — the confluence of the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers before they flow into the Indus — are decreasing. He said flows in the Ravi and Chenab had returned to normal and that levels on the Sutlej were falling, allowing many families to go back to their villages.

Residents returning described widespread destruction to homes and farmland. "We waded through 5 to 6 feet of water to reach a safe place, but the flood came so suddenly that we couldn’t take even a needle with us," said Nargis Bibi, 46, from a village in Kasur district. Muhammad Sajjad, 43, a farmer near Multan, said floodwaters from the Chenab had receded by about 6 feet, enabling his family to return but leaving orchards and fields damaged and in need of replanting.

The Punjab Disaster Management Authority reported that more than 4,500 villages were inundated during the heavy rains and repeated releases of water from overflowing dams in neighboring India. Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority said India had shared at least six flood alerts in recent weeks, and that water releases contributed to swollen rivers in Punjab.

Officials cautioned that many communities remain unsafe and urged returning residents to follow instructions from local administrators to receive government assistance or to stay in relief camps where necessary. Provincial teams assisted by the military carried out one of Punjab’s largest rescue and relief operations, Kathia said, and aid continues to reach remote areas such as Liaquatpur and Jalalpur Pirwala.

Authorities reported that many displaced residents have already returned to districts including Narowal, Okara, Kasur, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar, while relief efforts continue for stranded families in more isolated communities.

The floodwaters are moving south toward Sindh province, which suffered catastrophic flooding in 2022 that killed more than 1,700 people nationwide and caused widespread agricultural and infrastructure damage. Officials warned that southern regions could face increased flows and requested continued monitoring and preparedness.

The government has directed local administrations to coordinate relief distribution, sheltering and rehabilitation plans. Officials said assessments of damage to homes, roads and crops are under way, and that many farmers will need seeds and other support to replant damaged fields.

The provincial and national disaster authorities did not provide an immediate estimate of the total cost of damage in eastern Punjab. Humanitarian agencies and provincial officials said the scale of displacement and the loss of standing crops and property will require sustained relief and recovery operations in the coming weeks.