Islamabad/Lahore:
The authorities placed on Tuesday the disaster management institutions and the related agencies in the warning of “maximum alert” of the risks of flood “exceptionally high” in Punjab, after a mixture of relentless monsoon rains, glacial foundry and the release of water from the multiple of multiple dams upstream.
The provincial and federal authorities said that almost 190,000 people have already been evacuated, and the military attended rescue operations in dozens of flooded villages. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned that the next 48 to 72 hours will be critical as heavy rains continue and dam discharges accelerate.
The last crisis comes when the Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej rivers, oriental tributaries of the Indo basin, increased to dangerous levels, threatening the agricultural heart of Punjab, which provides an important part of the country’s food.
The president of the NDMA, LT Gen, Inam Haider, told reporters in Islamabad that a large -scale evacuation campaign was being carried out in collaboration with PDMA and rescue of Punjab 1122. “Almost 190,000 people have been transferred to safer areas of high -risk areas throughout the Sutlej River,” he said.
“All relevant departments remain on a maximum alert,” he added. He warned that the eighth spell in the process of the Monzón season raised particular dangers, since an unusually strong rain was forecast for the districts that generally remained dry.
“Excessive rains are expected in Sialkot, Nanowal, Kasur and adjacent areas in the next two or three days. This increases the risk of urban floods and serious damage to the infrastructure,” he added. He urged the public to stay attentive, avoid low areas and strictly follow official consultations and alerts.
According to the Punjab Irrigation Department, tickets at Marala Headworks in Chenab increased more than 400,000 CUSECs, with forecasts that suggest that the levels could increase to 600,000 CUSECs for Tuesday night, a stage of “severe flood”. Medium to medium to high flood levels were reported in Khanki and Qadirabad.
The Ravi River also remains under pressure, with flooding waters of tributaries, including Bein, Basantar and Dek, which takes the levels to 190,000 Cusecs in Kot Naina, which is expected to rise more than 240,000 Cusecs. It was projected that a flood wave would hit Jassar in a matter of hours.
Meanwhile, in the Sutlej basin, discharges from Pong and Bhakra dams in the state of Pradesh in northern Himachal of India, raised the levels in Singh Wala Ganda Wala to almost 189,000 Cusec, projected to climb more than 220,000 CUSECs.
Pong Dam has already reached its complete deposit level of 1,390 feet, while the Bhakra dam is located at 1,671 feet, just 9 feet of less than its maximum. The Bhakra Beas Management Board has warned that if the levels cross the damping brand, the outputs could jump over 80,000 Cusecs, intensifying the risks of flooding downstream.
The PDMA confirmed that all the doors of India [Ranjit Sagar] Dam had been open, releasing 77,000 Cusecs to Ravi. Pakistani officials expressed concern that the water releases from India without adequate coordination could aggravate the crisis.
Punjab Irrigation Minister Kazim Raza Pirzada said that climate change was aggravating the crisis. “The collection areas are receiving heavier and more intense rain bursts than in the past. Our Eastern rivers are overwhelmed by the rain and by glacial melting,” he told reporters.
Evacuation operations continued until Tuesday in low districts. The attached commissioner of Sialkot, Saba Asghar Ali, after visiting the city of Pasrur, near the Indian border, said that 16 villages are secured and “the evacuation of approximately 5,000 people and 1,450 cattle is guaranteed.”
Army units are helping to move residents stranded, while local administrations are mobilizing food shelters and supplies. Arrangements for food, medications and sanitation in aid camps had been made, said Ali. The NDMA said federal reserves of tents, rations and medications to Punjab had been sent.
The authorities said that deaths had not yet been reported in the districts affected by Sutlej due to timely evacuations. However, the general cost of this year’s monsoon in Pakistan has reached 802 deaths, almost half of them only in August.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif presided over an emergency meeting, ordering the authorities to accelerate rescue and help operations. “The evacuation must be accelerated, food and medical care provided without delay, and tents supplied to all displaced families,” ordered the prime minister.
He also instructed the NDMA to maintain a close coordination with the PUNJAB PDMA and the Ministries of Power and Communication aimed at restoring the services interrupted in areas affected by the floods, according to a brochure issued by the Prime Minister’s office.
The Department of Meteorology of Pakistan (PMD) warned about generalized rain, wind and thunderstorms on Wednesday (today) in the northeast of Punjab and Kashmir, with isolated showers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Central Punjab, Balochistan and Sink.
Heavy falls could trigger urban floods in Lahore, Sialkot, Nareowal, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Jhelum, while land landslides can block roads in mountainous areas of Rawalakot, Poonch, Kotli, Bhimber and Mirpur, the PMD warned.
In the last 24 hours, Sialkot registered 228 mm of rain, Lahore up to 61 mm and Narowal 107 mm. The authorities warned more rain, a couple with water released by India, would worsen the already saturated river systems.
With the swelling of the rivers of natural and geopolitical pressures, the president of the NDMA summed up the urgency, saying: “The situation of the flood is serious. The next 48 to 72 hours will be fundamental for Punjab. We urge the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with the authorities.”
Lieutenant General Haider pointed out that all Tehsils in vulnerable areas had been put on alert, with federal resources supported by provincial and district authorities. Once the monsoon spell decreases, he said, displaced families could return home.
(With agencies contributions)
