In response to dangerously rising water levels in dams due to heavy monsoon rains, authorities on Wednesday carried out a controlled explosion of an embankment next to a dam. Concurrently, one of the world’s most sacred Sikh sites was submerged by floodwaters.
Three transboundary rivers in the eastern part of the country have swelled to exceptionally high levels, a direct result of intense rainfall across the border in India.
This situation has prompted flood alerts across Punjab province, which is home to nearly half of Pakistan’s population of 255 million. The army has also been deployed to assist with the evacuation of residents and their livestock from areas near the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers.
According to disaster management officials, approximately 210,000 people have already been relocated to safer areas.
At the Qadirabad dam on the Chenab River, authorities executed a controlled breach of a protective embankment as water levels continued to climb.
“To protect the structure, we have breached the right marginal embankment to reduce the water flow,” stated Mazhar Hussain, a spokesperson for Punjab’s disaster management agency.
The Kartarpur temple, which commemorates the site where the founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak, is believed to have passed away in 1539, was overtaken by floodwater.
Five boats were dispatched to the expansive complex to rescue about 100 people who had become stranded.
Officials reported that neighboring India had released water from its upstream dams on its side of the border, which further intensified the flow of water towards Punjab.
The foreign ministry confirmed that New Delhi had provided prior notification through diplomatic channels before opening the spillways.
Indian government officials have not issued any comments on the matter.
Irfan Ali, Punjab’s provincial disaster chief, noted that the flood surge was “expected to pass through Lahore tonight and tomorrow morning.”
Pakistan has endured a severe monsoon season this year, with torrential rains triggering landslides and floods that have claimed the lives of over 800 people since June.
