By Muhammad Luqman

The Punjab Irrigation Department has launched pre-flood inspections of irrigation infrastructure, including spurs, embankments, and canal headworks across the province, as part of its efforts to prepare for potential flooding during the upcoming monsoon season.

According to department officials, the inspections are being carried out by designated teams, supported by allied departments and law enforcement agencies.

“The structures, if found damaged or weak, are being repaired and strengthened immediately in the light of the inspection teams’ recommendations,” said Dr. Ghulam Zakir Hassan Sial, Director of the Irrigation Research Institute (IRI), Punjab.

Talking to Wealth Pakistan, he said that the structural audit of spurs and embankments along the province’s rivers is an ongoing process. He added that timely repair and reinforcement of these structures would help avert a situation similar to the 2025 floods during the upcoming monsoon season, which starts in the middle of June.

During August and September last year, severe flooding in the Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej rivers affected over 3.9 million people in Punjab. The floods were mainly caused by heavy monsoon rains and upstream water releases from India. Thousands of villages across 28 districts were submerged, forcing mass evacuations and resulting in 48 deaths—marking one of the worst flooding events in decades.

Dr. Sial noted that during the 2025 floods, the IRI successfully diverted about 12,000 acre-feet of floodwater for Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) through the Old Mailsi Canal at Islam Headworks on the Sutlej River, effectively turning a crisis into an opportunity. A total of 144 recharge wells were constructed within the canal bed, he added.

Meanwhile, to prevent inundation of Lahore’s housing societies by the River Ravi—similar to last year—the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) has accelerated work on embankment construction along the river.

“The 46-kilometer-long embankments are being constructed on both banks of the Ravi to protect Lahorites from floods,” said RUDA spokesperson Sher Afzal Butt.

Speaking to Wealth Pakistan, he said the protection structures are being built from Ravi Syphon to Jhok Forests. Under the project, the riverbed will be expanded to at least one kilometer in width to help channelize water flow, even during peak flood conditions.

Lahore witnessed its first major flooding from the Ravi in nearly 40 years last year, triggered by intense monsoon rains and substantial upstream water releases from India. The deluge submerged residential areas such as Shahdara, Farrukhabad, and Shafiqabad, as well as private housing societies like Park View Society. Thousands of residents sought refuge in flood relief camps set up along Multan Road and other areas for several weeks until water levels receded.

The Punjab government has also initiated work on an integrated flood management plan for the upcoming monsoon season, consolidating input from various departments.

“Preparations for relief and rescue operations are also underway to cope with any flooding during the upcoming monsoon season,” a spokesperson for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Punjab, told Wealth Pakistan.

Credit: INP-WealthPk