Flooding from the Ravi River has caused significant damage to Sahiwal’s road infrastructure, isolating multiple districts and halting local transportation for several days.

 

 

Three key routes connecting Sahiwal to Toba Tek Singh, Kamalia, Faisalabad, Gojra, Arifwala, Burewala, Vehari, Khanewal and Pakpattan have been severely affected, with washouts occurring at various locations, some spanning over 200 feet.

 

 

Additionally, six smaller inter-village roads have become unusable.

 

 

The impact, however, extends beyond the surface of the roads. Nearly 100 culverts have fallen and floodwaters have eroded the foundations of several road sections. Traffic, both light and heavy, has been halted across the five most affected districts for the last three days, resulting in the isolation of numerous villages.

 

 

This disruption has also affected local markets. Deliveries of vegetables from Faisalabad and Toba Tek Singh have not reached Chichawatni, leading to shortages. Cattle traders face difficulties in moving livestock, forcing many animals to be housed at the Chichawatni market.

 

 

While the water level of the Ravi has decreased to 123,000 cusecs, the Flood Forecasting Division in Lahore has cautioned of another surge of 150,000 cusecs anticipated to hit Sahiwal due to heavy rainfall in upstream areas.

 

 

Local authorities are remaining vigilant. Muhammad Ramzan, the executive engineer of the highways department, stated that repairs to the inter-village roads cannot commence until the water has receded.

 

 

“If more water arrives tonight, the situation could deteriorate as 80% of the roads are already submerged,” he said.

 

 

Ramzan also mentioned that the Communication and Works Department is working on installing a steel bridge to address a 200-foot breach on the Chichawatni-Kamalia road.

 

 

The department hopes this temporary structure will allow for limited traffic to resume within 48 hours, if the forthcoming flood does not cause additional damage.

 

 

Evaluations of the overall damage to both major and minor routes are still ongoing, while residents are left uncertain about when normal travel connectivity will be restored.