PDMA says Sutlej River might face an exceptionally high flood on September 1, 2 and 3. River Ravi and River Chenab and their associated nullahs could also face very high exceptionally high floods on September 2, 3 and 4.
Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), however, clarified that high and exceptionally flows depend upon release of waters from Indian reservoirs. Geo Tv, meanwhile reported that India has released water in River Sutlej.
“India released water in Sutlej from the Harike and Ferozepur Headworks,” Geo TV reported on Monday quoting NDMA.
The situation has forced the authorities to put nine districts of Punjab’s Sutlej Valley and and south on high alert. The district include Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Vehari, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Multan, and Muzaffargarh.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari believes areas of Jhang (at the Trimmu confluence of Chenab and Jhelum), Toba Tek Singh (between Chenab in west and Ravi in east), and Sahiwal (Ravi in east, Sutlej in west) are also at risk. Addressing a press conference, she said floods have so far affected around 2,500 villages in Punjab.
Meanwhile, Flood Forecasting Division has warned that River Chenab at Panjnad will face an “exceptionally high flood” on September 4 and September 5. River Indus, it stated, at Guddu might attain exceptionally high flood on September 6 and September
Meanwhile, at least eight people were killed in different areas of Punjab due to flooding, according to reports. Floods in Pakistan have killed over 23 people and injured nine during last 24-hour, according to National Disaster Management Authority.
Rainfall:
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), on the other side, has warned of heavy rain in the flood-affected areas of Punjab. Rains can fall in parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and Kashmir as well.
“Widespread heavy to very heavy rainfall, along with torrential downpours at scattered places, is expected over the upper catchment of River Sutlej and Bear (upstream of Ganda Sing Wala), Ravi and Chenab, along with their tributaries, nullahs as well as in Lahore and Gujranwala division during 1st to 3rd September.”
