KASUR: Life has ground to a halt in the small village of Ganda Singh Wala, an area nestled along the Pakistan-India border. Murky floodwaters stand eight to nine feet high outside many homes. While much of the population has fled to safer areas, others like Muhammad Sharif have stayed behind, unable to abandon their homes.
Punjab, home to half of Pakistan’s 240 million people, has been devastated by deadly floods that swept the province last week. Authorities say 46 people have been killed and nearly 3.9 million have been affected, while 1.8 million have been displaced. Thousands of villages have been flooded with water as the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers have overflowed since late last month.
In Kasur district’s Ganda Singh Wala area, over 148 villages have been submerged and 70,000 acres of crops destroyed, the deputy commissioner said. Authorities say nearly 76,000 people have been evacuated to relief camps.
Arab News visited the flood-stricken village on Wednesday on a trip arranged for international media by the Pakistan Army. The devastation was evident: army, navy, police and emergency rescue teams were all using boats to pull stranded villagers to safety from the deluges.
Local administrators stand along the banks of a flooded river Sutlej in Kasur district, Punjab province on September 3, 2025. (AFP)
