Flood Crisis in Pakistan: Punjab Uses Drones and Thermal Imaging to Reach Survivors

Punjab has deployed drones and thermal imaging to locate and rescue people and livestock amid the province s worst floods. The technology is now a central tool in the provincial command that directs evacuations and relief.

The Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA) and emergency teams are flying thermal imaging drones over submerged villages and cut off roads. The cameras detect body heat and outline human shapes at night and under debris. Operators feed live images into the provincial control room where officials prioritise rescue missions.

Commanders say drones and thermal imaging reduce response times for Rescue 1122 teams and for the army units working in seven districts. The tech also helps map safe routes for boats and dewatering crews. Officials report hundreds of drone guided rescues in districts such as Jhang Sialkot and Gujrat since the rains began.

Satellite imagery and Safe City CCTV networks are being fused with drone feeds to create a real time picture of road connectivity and camp locations. This combined data lets authorities move ambulances and supplies to where they are most needed and protect hospital operations by clearing nearby water quickly.

The provincial control room records each drone sortie and links video to call centres that contact stranded families. Thermal drones are also used to check relief sites and temporary shelters at night. The system has been credited with speeding evacuations that have moved hundreds of thousands of people and livestock away from flood plains.

Special operations such as the dewatering of Kartarpur Gurdwara were coordinated using drone and satellite data. Officials say they will keep expanding drone patrols as the monsoon continues and as relief shifts from rescue to recovery.