The Sutlej River has unleashed the worst flooding in 37 years, leaving a trail of destruction across Bahawalnagar district. Thousands of families have lost their homes, farmlands, and livestock, turning one of Pakistan’s key agricultural regions into a scene of despair.
Families Left Homeless and Helpless
One of the most tragic stories is that of Allah Bakhsh, a 90-year-old laborer from Basti Basara Baloch. In a matter of hours, floodwaters swept away his house and farmland — his only savings from a lifetime of hard work.
Now, he and his 75-year-old wife, along with their three disabled sons, sit on the roadside under the open sky, with no food, no roof, and no hope of official relief.
“I built just one house in my whole life. The flood took even that. Where do we go now?” he wept.
His wife added: “We have no shelter, no food, and disabled children. Only God can help us.”
Villages Submerged Across 154 KM of River Belt
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Floodwaters have swept through all three tehsils of Bahawalnagar.
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Hundreds of villages have been wiped out.
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Thousands of families are displaced, losing not just homes but their economic backbone of farming and livestock.
For a district dependent on agriculture and dairy farming, the devastation has destroyed livelihoods, forcing men into joblessness and leaving women and children struggling for basic food supplies.
Stories of Loss and Broken Dreams
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Hanifa Bibi, who migrated after the 1988 floods, is once again in a relief tent — this time without her husband or son, surviving only with her daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
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Another elderly man visits the ruins of his house daily, crying before returning to his tent.
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A farmer’s family, who had saved for years to prepare a dowry for their daughter, lost everything overnight when the waters drowned their dreams of marriage.
Some survivors admitted they would have given up entirely — if not for their faith and the belief that suicide is forbidden.
Survivors Demand More Than Temporary Relief
Along the riverbanks, women and children wait in hunger, while men stand unemployed and hopeless. Residents say aid like tents and food is not enough.
What they urgently need is:
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Permanent housing
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Rehabilitation of farmlands and livestock
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Sustainable income opportunities
The crisis in Bahawalnagar is not only a regional tragedy but a national call to action — a reminder that beyond sympathy, Pakistan must invest in long-term rehabilitation and disaster preparedness.
