MULTAN/LAHORE: Widespread flooding in South Punjab has forced the Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) to suspend electricity supply to more than 113,000 consumers across 13 districts as a precautionary measure.
Officials said power from 151 feeders was cut at the transformer level under safety SOPs to prevent accidents and protect lives.
In Sahiwal, supply to 15,610 consumers on nine feeders was suspended, with restoration for 7,685 once water receded. In Bahawalpur, 22 feeders affecting 10,987 consumers were switched off. Lodhran, Pakpattan, and Rahim Yar Khan also saw feeder shutdowns impacting thousands of households. Vehari was among the hardest-hit, with 23,395 consumers disconnected from 15 feeders.
Other affected districts include Khanewal (20,933 consumers), Bahawalnagar (6,992), Rajanpur (124), Dera Ghazi Khan (2), Muzaffargarh (10,114), and Kot Addu (275). Relief camps led by SDOs and XENs have been established, with MEPCO line staff on round-the-clock duty.
Widespread devastation
Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabeel Javed reported that over 4.15 million people across 4,150 villages have been affected by flooding in the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers. More than two million residents have been relocated to safer areas, while rescue operations continue in inundated regions. At least 56 lives have been lost.
Floods have destroyed standing crops on thousands of acres, particularly in Bahawalnagar, Multan, and Kabirwala. In Bahawalnagar, 143 villages were submerged, forcing 100,000 people to flee. In Kabirwala, waters from the Ravi displaced over 80,000. Authorities have set up 423 relief camps, 512 medical facilities, and 432 veterinary camps, while 1.5 million livestock have been shifted to safety.
Jalalpur Pirwala tehsil in Multan remains the worst hit, with more than 50 villages inundated. Rescue operations involve 27 boats, including 14 provided by the army.
Rising waters
Protective dykes in Kahror Pakka, Rathanwala, Mochiwala, and Dera Dilawar have collapsed, while breaches in embankments have cut off dozens of villages in Bahawalnagar and Chishtian. A dyke breach in Alipur further worsened the situation.
Fresh rains and additional releases from Indian dams threaten to intensify the crisis downstream. The Flood Forecasting Division reported extremely high flows: 543,000 cusecs at Trimmu and 489,000 at Panjnad on the Chenab, 152,000 at Baloki on the Ravi, and very high levels at Sutlej’s Ganda Singh Wala point. High floods have also been recorded at Shahdara, Sadhanai, and Head Sulemanki.
