LAHORE:
The river levels throughout Sindh remained high on Saturday, which led the authorities to remain alert and continue with the preparation measures for floods. The greatest surveillance occurs after the torrential rains of the monsoon unleashed a generalized devastation in Punjab, flooding the villages, damaging the crops and displacing thousands of people.
Mass floods in the main Punjab rivers have left more than 4.5 million affected people, which caused what officials describe as the largest rescue and relief operation in the province in history.
According to the Provincial Disaster Authority (PDMA), the strong floods in the Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab rivers have flooded more than 4,700 villages. At least 101 people have died in incidents related to floods in Punjab, while almost 2.5 million residents have been relocated. The authorities have also evacuated more than two million cattle.
Help Commissioner Nabeel Javed said that 392 aid camps, 493 medical camps and 422 veterinary units are operating throughout the province. “We are working 24 hours to ensure that affected families receive refuge, food and medical care,” he told reporters.
On Saturday, the provincial emergency monitoring cell of rain and flood reported high flows in key barriers. Guddu Barge registered a high flood, with an entry to 544,658 CUSECs and output at 514,051 CUSECs. Sukkur Barge registered an average flood with 470,580 Cusecs inputs, while Kotri Barge saw a low flood with 262,509 Cusecs inputs. Panjnad registered entrance and exit at 575,195 CUSECs.
The officials of the Civil Administration and the Army inspected vulnerable areas in Dadu, Jamshoro, Sukkur and Guddu, where the strengthening of the embankment and other preventive works are underway. The medical camps administered by the Army are providing free treatment to residents and will remain active if floods occur.
Register water levels
The PDMA reported extremely high flood levels at key points. On the head of Punjnad, the water flow reached 575,000 Cusecs, while the levels in the head Muhammadwala rose to 410.5 feet against a danger mark of 417.5 feet. In the Sher Shah bridge, the water reached its maximum point at 392.7 feet, near the critical threshold of 393.5 feet. Officials expect the flows in these sites to go back in the next 48 hours.
The Ravi in the head Sidhnai experienced medium level floods, while the Sutlej in Ganda Singh Wala and Sulaimanki remains at low flood levels. The rain has ceased in the areas of upper collection, which allows rivers to begin to return to normal.
In the Indo, the flood of Guddu registered high flood levels with a discharge of 561,000 Cusecs, while Sukkur Barge registered medium floods with 472,000 Cusec. Kotri Barge is experiencing low flood levels.
The general director of PDMA, Irfan Ali Kathia, described the historical situation. “For the first time in the history of Punjab, all the main rivers witnessed flooding simultaneously,” he said, added that Ali Pur and Jalpur Pirwala are no longer under an immediate threat.
Kathia said that more than 28 districts and thousands of settlements were flooded at the top of the floods. “This is the largest rescue operation of Punjab. More than 2.5 million people have been evacuated, and five helicopters have been continuously operating in the regions of fine and Rahim Yar Khan during the last 72 hours,” he said.
In an unprecedented movement, he said, Punjab has deployed air transport drones to deliver emergency supplies to difficult areas.
