Floods have devastated villages, homes and crops in Pakistan’s Chiniot district after the Chenab River burst its banks.

In Punjab province, heavy monsoon rains caused the river to overflow, submerging villages and forcing residents to flee to higher ground. Many families are now living in makeshift tents along the roadside, saying they have yet to receive any government aid.

Local resident Mehdi Hassan said: “The floodwater swept away half of our belongings. We managed to bring the rest here to the roadside. It has been three days, but no official has visited us and no aid has reached us.”

Another villager, Amir Sultan, described the worsening situation: “There is about five feet of water inside our home. The Chenab River is just 200 metres away. The current hit our village, flooding our houses. Our families are trapped, they have nothing to eat. Our cattle are hungry and our crops have been destroyed.”

The community graveyard has also been completely submerged. Jawad Ali, another resident, said livestock were starving as all animal fodder had been washed away.

Many villagers, along with their buffaloes and cows, are now stranded by the roadside. While some food distribution has begun, residents say conditions remain dire.

According to the Flood Forecasting Centre in Lahore, the water flow at Chiniot Bridge reached 392,856 cusecs on Saturday (30 August).

Weeks of torrential monsoon rains have battered both India and Pakistan. In eastern Pakistan alone, more than one million people have been evacuated this week. The National Disaster Management Authority says 820 people have died in the country since the start of the monsoon season.

The flooded eastern region is home to half of Pakistan’s 240 million people and is considered the country’s breadbasket. The destruction of crops is raising fears of a wider food crisis.

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