Lahore, Aug 28 (PTI) At least 17 people have died in the last 24 hours due to severe flooding that has submerged hundreds of villages across Pakistan's Punjab province, according to officials on Thursday. Catastrophic conditions caused by the overflowing Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers have led to massive evacuations, the destruction of infrastructure, and the inundation of millions of acres of farmland in the province, which has a population of over 130 million. Punjab Emergency Services Rescue 1122 reported 17 fatalities due to the floods in the last 24 hours—seven occurred in Sialkot, four in Gujrat, three in Narowal, two in Hafizabad, and one in Gujranwala. Officials highlighted that the unusually high water levels in the three rivers were triggered by heavy rainfall and additional water released from Indian dams. Federal Minister for Development Ahsan Iqbal accused India of engaging in "water aggression." "India has resorted to water aggression. This is a natural disaster that requires cross-border collaboration. Rather than treating it as a natural calamity to work alongside Pakistan, India suddenly released a flood wave, effectively using water as a weapon," he stated. India released water by opening all gates of the Thein Dam on the Ravi River, compelling Punjab authorities to involve the Pakistan Army in eight districts—Lahore, Okara, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Kasur, Sargodha, and Hafizabad—to assist in rescue and relief operations. Pakistan had been forewarned by India about the plan to release water from the rapidly filling Madhopur Dam. Both the Thein and Madhopur dams are situated on the Ravi River, shared between India and Pakistan. On Sunday, India communicated flood warnings to Pakistan through diplomatic channels as a humanitarian gesture. Following a terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, India imposed punitive measures on Pakistan, including placing the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in "abeyance". Typically, flood alerts are exchanged via the Indus Water Commission. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), major flood surges are progressing downstream, with extremely high levels noted at Khanki and Qadirabad headworks on the Chenab, as well as at Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej. The Ravi at Jassar and Shahdara remains in high flood, prompting evacuations in parts of Lahore. The Punjab government, in their statement, noted that more than 250,000 people have been evacuated as relief operations are underway. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas on Thursday. The provincial government estimates that the floods have affected around one million people to date. "Some 340 villages in Sialkot, Wazirabad, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Chiniot, and Jhang along the banks of the Chenab River have been hit hardest by the flooding. Similarly, 335 villages along the Sutlej River's banks have been affected." The cities impacted by flooding along the Sutlej River include Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Multan, Vehari, Bahawalnagar, and Bahawalpur," the statement elaborated. Several highways, notably in Narowal, Shakargarh, and Sialkot, are totally submerged. The Punjab government has called for military aid in eight districts—Sialkot, Narowal, Hafizabad, Sargodha, Lahore, Kasur, Okara, and Faisalabad. PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia stated that a major flood surge is traversing the river system; crucial infrastructure remains secure as mass evacuations continue from vulnerable locations. Meanwhile, floodwaters have inundated the entire Kartarpur Corridor complex, including the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. Authorities fear potential damage to the structure, the Sikh holy book, and relics. Around 150 officials and Sikh pilgrims stranded on Wednesday were evacuated. The Pakistani government inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor in November 2019, located approximately 4.1 kilometers from the Pakistan-India border. It connects Pakistan's Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, where Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, lived and passed away in the early 16th century, to Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district. The 4-km corridor allows Indian pilgrims visa-free access to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.
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