As floods devastate Punjab’s Kasur district, many villagers refuse to leave their submerged homes, clinging to hope, property, and livelihoods despite rising dangers.
In the flood-stricken village of Ganda Singh Wala, nestled along the Pakistan-India border in Kasur district, life has come to a standstill. Streets once alive with farming activity and community gatherings now lie submerged under eight to nine feet of murky floodwaters. While thousands of residents have evacuated to safer areas, some villagers, like 60-year-old farmer Muhammad Sharif, refuse to abandon their homes despite the rising dangers.
Sitting on a traditional charpoy, Sharif summed up the dilemma of many in his community: “The children have gone, but we are staying because of our houses. We just sat here with hope to survive.”
Background: Punjab’s Battle Against Rising Waters
Punjab, home to nearly half of Pakistan’s 240 million population, has been reeling from devastating floods triggered by overflowing rivers and excess water release from upstream. Authorities report that 46 people have died, 3.9 million have been affected, and nearly 1.8 million displaced across the province.
In Kasur alone, more than 148 villages have been submerged and 70,000 acres of crops destroyed, wiping out months of hard labor for farmers who depend on agriculture for survival. According to Deputy Commissioner Imran Ali, nearly 76,000 people have been evacuated to relief camps while 173,000 cattle have been rescued with the help of police, army, and rescue teams.
The River Sutlej, which has a water capacity of 100,000 cusecs, saw levels rise to an alarming 327,000 cusecs last week, overwhelming villages like Ganda Singh Wala. Pakistani officials have accused India of releasing excess water without timely notice, while New Delhi maintains that it had warned Islamabad and the release was unavoidable due to heavy monsoon rains.
Lives on Hold: The Villagers Who Stay Behind
Despite official evacuation efforts, not all residents are willing to leave. For Sharif and many others, fear of theft and loss of property outweighs the risks of staying behind. Livestock, household items, and the symbolic value of homes built over decades make it difficult to walk away.
Shazia Bibi, another resident, explained her dilemma: “We fear the rising water, yet we cannot leave this house empty because it is our entire life’s earning.” She remains in the village even as her children take refuge with relatives in safer areas.
But survival in submerged villages is fraught with danger. Insects, snakes, and contaminated water make sleepless nights routine. “There are snakes and other biting animals in the floodwater, and I feel scared and cannot sleep at night,” Bibi said. The destruction of crops also means there is no labor work left, leaving families with no income and mounting anxiety about the future.
Relief and Rescue Efforts
The devastation in Kasur has prompted an unprecedented mobilization of resources. The Pakistan Army, Navy, Rescue 1122, and police are conducting operations using boats to evacuate stranded families. Deputy Commissioner Ali confirmed that satellite tools like AgriZoom and Google Maps are being deployed to assess damage to farmland and infrastructure once waters recede.
Kasur District Police Officer Muhammad Essa Khan added that 700 policemen, including women officers, are on duty across a 22-kilometer stretch of the River Sutlej. “Rescue teams ensured presence in vulnerable villages, making announcements in mosques and engaging local representatives to warn people about incoming floods and the need to evacuate,” he said.
Despite these measures, the scale of destruction remains overwhelming. Families who rely on agriculture face long-term setbacks, as both their livelihoods and food security have been swept away.
Commentary: A Crisis of Trust and Preparedness
The Kasur floods highlight more than just the destructive power of nature; they reveal ongoing challenges in disaster preparedness and cross-border water management. Pakistan’s accusations against India, and India’s counterclaims of timely intimation, show the lack of trust between the two neighbors. Such disputes make coordinated flood management nearly impossible, leaving vulnerable communities to bear the brunt.
On the domestic front, while Pakistan has improved rescue operations since the 2010 floods, issues of early warning communication, infrastructure resilience, and long-term rehabilitation persist. The reliance on temporary relief camps offers only short-term safety, without addressing the deep scars left on livelihoods, education, and healthcare in flood-hit areas.
Future Outlook: Building Resilience
Looking ahead, experts argue that Punjab and Pakistan as a whole need to invest heavily in flood-resilient infrastructure, early warning systems, and climate adaptation strategies. Programs to strengthen river embankments, create dedicated water storage systems, and introduce climate-smart agriculture could help reduce vulnerability.
For the residents of Ganda Singh Wala, however, the future feels uncertain. Their decision to stay behind reflects both resilience and despair resilience in their determination to protect what little they own, and despair in knowing that leaving might mean losing everything forever.
As Pakistan continues to battle climate-induced disasters, the Kasur floods stand as a reminder that adaptation and preparedness are no longer optional they are matters of survival.
