Heavy rain has continued to fall in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since Monday night, causing widespread disruption and flooding. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
As the monsoon intensified, heavy rains lashed the upper and northern regions of the country on Thursday, causing widespread disruption.
Lahore recorded 343 millimeters of rain in the last 48 hours, while Gilgit-Baltistan bore the brunt of torrential rains in the last two days. The region was further affected by downpours, rapid melting of glaciers and severe flooding of streams and rivers, exacerbating the impact of extreme weather.
Additionally, the Flood Forecasting Division of the Pakistan Meteorological Department warned of increasing flood risks as a strong monsoon system interacting with a westerly wave is expected to cause widespread rainfall, rapid river inflows, flash flooding in mountainous areas, hill torrents and urban flooding in vulnerable cities, prompting authorities to closely monitor river basins and disaster-prone regions.
According to a hydrological situation alert, widespread rain with isolated heavy rain is expected over Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and parts of Balochistan during the next two days.
Elevated flood conditions persisted on Thursday at the Khanki and Qadirabad dams on the Chenab river, while the Marala dam remained at medium flood level as monsoon flows continued to swell Punjab’s rivers, latest data showed.
The data showed that Chenab in Marala Barrage recorded an inflow of 194,452 cusecs and an outflow of 174,452 cusecs, maintaining a medium flood level. At Khanki Barrage, the inflow reached 261,463 cusecs against an outflow of 256,063 cusecs, placing the dam in high flood category.
At Qadirabad Barrage, the river contributed an inflow of 267,159 cusecs, while 252,159 cusecs were discharged downstream. Officials said 15,000 cusecs of water was being diverted into the QB Link canal, while heavy flooding conditions continued at the dam.
The Ravi river remained almost stable. At Kot Naina, the river was flowing at 17,500 cusecs and water levels were showing a decreasing trend. Flows at Jassar, Ravi Siphon and Shahdara were recorded at 24,940 cusecs, 32,577 cusecs and 32,138 cusecs, respectively, and conditions were described as normal.
Gilgit-Baltistan
Flooding, landslides and falling debris have severely damaged numerous houses, link roads, three major bridges, irrigation systems, drinking water systems and large areas of agricultural land, while land connectivity to several areas has been cut off.
The Gilgit-Chitral highway was also closed due to rains.
On the outskirts of Gilgit city, floodwaters entered homes in Konodas, Skarkoi, Jotal and Naltar, causing severe damage to crops and standing trees.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
At least 22 people have been killed and 23 others injured in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since July 19, when heavy monsoon rains and flash floods caused houses to collapse and sweep away people, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Thursday.
