Continuous heavy rainfall and India’s sudden release of large volumes of water into rivers, has caused widespread flooding in Punjab, prompting the government to deploy the army in six districts: Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Narowal, and Okara.

In the midst of an already harsh monsoon, India opened the gates of upstream dams, sending new surges down the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab.

Pakistan then sent army troops across important districts of Punjab on Wednesday to help with relief efforts and evacuations.

More than 150,000 people have already been evacuated from floodplains, according to officials, and evacuations are still taking place in areas along rivers that are at risk.

In at least six districts, including Lahore, Kasur, Sialkot, Narowal, Okara, and Faisalabad, where boats and helicopters are transporting stranded families to relief camps while embankments are reinforced, provincial authorities called upon the military to conduct rescue operations.

Read more: NDMA issues flood alert as Indian dams release water into Ravi, Sutlej & Chenab

Departments were placed on high alert by the Punjab PDMA, which also issued a warning about high to very high flows over the next 24 to 48 hours.

Pakistan was notified that all gates of the Thein (Ranjit Sagar) Dam on the Ravi had been opened, with additional discharges noted from Madhopur.

India's releases come after heavy rains in upstream catchments. On Wednesday evening and into Thursday, Pakistani agencies issued warnings about major peaks on the Ravi and Sutlej, advising people to avoid low-lying areas and riverbanks.

Since late June, monsoon flooding has caused hundreds of deaths and mass displacement nationwide, with Punjab bearing an increasing proportion as river levels rise.

The capacity of the camps is growing, and search and rescue resources are still being mobilized in tandem with civil administration, according to international and federal relief updates.

As waters moved through the Sutlej belt overnight, thousands of people were evacuated from Kasur, Bahawalnagar, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalpur, and Vehari, according to authorities.

If upstream releases persist or if new rainfall exacerbates flows, more relocations are anticipated.