Floods devastate 2.58m acres of Punjab farmland

News Desk

Lahore: Punjab’s monsoon season may have officially ended, but the scars left behind by devastating floods continue to deepen, with millions of acres of farmland destroyed and thousands of families struggling to rebuild their lives.

Director General of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Irfan Ali Kathia, confirmed on Friday that river flows have returned to normal, yet the damage is staggering. Floods swept through 28 districts, inundating 4,795 villages and impacting more than 407,000 people.

Over 612,000 residents—and nearly two million animals—were evacuated to safety, while 331 relief camps across South Punjab still house more than 100,000 displaced people.

Agriculture Bears the Brunt

The most alarming toll has been on Punjab’s breadbasket. More than 2.58 million acres of farmland have been wiped out, with Gujrat and Faisalabad emerging as the worst-hit.

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Maize crops were devastated, while rice, sugarcane, and cotton suffered yield losses of 15%, 13%, and 5% respectively. Officials confirmed that 824 animals remain unaccounted for, pending damage surveys scheduled to begin September 24.

Infrastructure Still Paralyzed

Despite receding waters in several areas, parts of the Multan-Sukkur Motorway (M-5) remain submerged, with 22 kilometres closed and repair work ongoing. Roads such as Jalalpur-Lodhran also remain cut off, complicating relief efforts. Breach points along the Chenab at Rawaj Bridge, Sadhnai, and Multan are being plugged as river levels drop.

Calls for Long-Term Planning

Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, after visiting Multan, acknowledged the devastation to farmers and called for “permanent and long-term planning” to prevent future disasters. “The flood has caused severe damage to crops. Departments must fulfil their responsibilities in time,” he urged.

Sindh Still on Alert

Downstream, Sindh’s barrages are reporting improving inflows—399,000 cusecs at Sukkur, 426,000 at Guddu, and 315,000 at Kotri. While Sukkur and Guddu remain on medium alert, Kotri has eased to low flood levels. On the Sutlej, however, low-level floods continue to flatten homes, leaving hundreds homeless.

For farmers across Punjab, the next challenge lies not just in surviving the disaster but in salvaging livelihoods. With the sowing season disrupted and crops washed away, the coming months may test the resilience of the province’s agricultural backbone like never before.