Torrential rains have submerged parts of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, as Sindh province prepares for a potential “super flood” along the Indus River. Weeks of record monsoon rains in Punjab province have sent massive amounts of water downstream, swelling the Indus and threatening widespread devastation.
Sindh authorities are reinforcing embankments and establishing relief and medical camps, anticipating the displacement of hundreds of thousands. The province, home to over 50 million people, is directly in the path of the surging river. The situation is exacerbated by water releases from Indian dams on the Sutlej River.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned of further rain in Sindh and Balochistan, increasing the risk of severe urban flooding in major cities like Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur, as well as flash floods in mountainous areas.
Sindh Chief Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari inspected flood control structures and acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, emphasizing the need for preparedness. The provincial government has already set up hundreds of relief and medical camps, housing over 143,000 displaced people and evacuating more than 390,000 livestock.
Bhutto-Zardari also warned of a looming food security crisis due to significant agricultural losses, estimated at $1.5 billion, primarily in Punjab. He called for a nationwide agricultural emergency.
Nationwide, floods and related incidents have claimed 928 lives since June 26, according to the NDMA. President Asif Ali Zardari has ordered urgent measures to protect food supplies and strengthen resilience against future climate shocks.
The heavy rains also triggered significant urban flooding in Karachi, submerging several areas and causing the Malir River and Thado Dam to overflow. Authorities are working to improve water drainage and urge residents to avoid dangerous areas.
Punjab province, Pakistan’s main agricultural region, has already suffered immensely from the monsoon rains, with 66 deaths, 21 million displaced, and nearly 2 million acres of farmland inundated. The scale of the disaster has prompted one of the largest rescue operations in the province’s history, involving both civilian and military personnel.
