LAHORE/KARACHI:
A high-level flood alert was issued in Punjab on Sunday after India shared information about fresh releases of water into Pakistani rivers, while the national and provincial disaster management authorities warned of fresh spell of monsoon showers.
The fresh wave of floods came as the water after devastating the province during the last two weeks, headed to Sindh where the authorities braced for a surge of more than 800,000 cusecs at Guddu Barrage on September 9 (tomorrow).
The situation in Punjab still remained precarious floods came in waves in the three major rivers — Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab — mainly because of discharges coming from India. authorities said that situation was critical, particularly in Gujrat.
A similar situation was witnessed in the southern Punjab, where army was called out in Jalalpur Pirwala for a massive evacuation operation. Last night, a 70-year-old woman, and four children died in the area, when a rescue boat, they were onboard, capsized in the flood water.
“The Indian High Commission informed Pakistan that water flow in the Sutlej River would rise further,” a spokesperson for the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), said. “The Sutlej is already experiencing high-level flooding at Harike downstream and Ferozepur downstream.”
Punjab Relief Commissioner Nabil Javed warned that by September 9, extremely high-level flooding is feared in the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers due to heavy upstream rainfall, which could further swell the rivers.
Officials in Multan, meanwhile, confirmed that the Army had been called in to assist rescue efforts in Jalalpur Pirwala, where 14 Army boats, eight Rescue 1122 boats, and five private boats provided by police are part of ongoing operations to rescue stranded residents.
At Mauza Bait Malanwali, a flood embankment breached during the night, inundating several settlements. Rising water levels left men, women, and children trapped in the floodwater, with many climbing trees to save their lives.
Earlier, speaking to media in Lahore, PDMA chief Irfan Kathia said that the province iwas experiencing its 10th monsoon spell, which would continue until September 9. “The Gujrat district has been facing a severe emergency for the past 24 hours due to heavy rains,” he added.
Heavy machinery is deployed to drain out water from Gujrat. “All roads, including Railway Road and Shah Jehangir Road have been cleared for traffic, while water remains on Jinnah Chowk and Kacheri Road, which will be cleared in 24 hours.”
Kathia confirmed that five people drowned in a tragic boat capsize incident in Jalalpur Pirwala. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz the district administration to arrange for the burials of the victims. “Financial assistance will be provided to the affected family within 24 hours,” he said.
According to PDMA, 25 districts in Punjab have so far been affected, impacting over 4.15 million poeple. So far, over 2.02 million people have been moved to safer locations, while 60,00070,000 people are housed in relief camps. He put the provincial death toll at 56.
The PDMA said the flood situation in Multan would persist for at least 72 hours, as incoming water continued to pose challenges. At Head Panjnad, the water level is consistently rising, crossing 500,000 cusecs at Ali Pur and will reach 600,000 cusecs at Panjnad.
Sindh prepares for peak flood
In preparation for a high flood, evacuation of vulnerable riverine populations has been accelerated, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Sunday, as the province braced for a high flood of more than 800,000 cusecs at Guddu on September 9 (tomorrow).
Addressing the media at the Flood Emergency Centre, Shah said that commissioners have begun issuing alerts across katcha (riverine) areas to ensure residents vacate their homes and move to safer locations. Shah said that 128,000 people have already left their homes, while the number could rise to 324,000.
“Our preparations are complete. The rain in Sindh is manageable, and rainfall in Koh-e-Suleman is not so intense as to immediately flood the river. But we remain cautious,” Shah said. “At this time, the real need for support is in Punjab,” he added. “Conditions there are far more severe.”
The Chief Minister also referred to recent rains in Karachi, pointing out that drainage measures cleared the city within hours on August 19. He expressed confidence that Sindh would withstand the flood, while urging the public to avoid misinformation and cooperate fully with authorities.
More rains
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) sounded fresh alarms across Pakistan on Sunday, warning risks of urban flooding in Sindh’s low-lying coastal districts and flash floods in the Kirthar Range, Khuzdar, Lasbela and Koh-e-Suleman in Balochistan.
The NDMA warned of extremely heavy rainfall in parts of south-eastern Sindh between September 7 and 10. The fresh rainfall is linked to a weather system currently hovering over the Gujarat-Rajasthan border in India and moving westward.
“This system is expected to impact Sindh, adjoining areas of Balochistan, and southern Punjab, bringing intermittent heavy showers until September 10,” the authority said. The NDMA alert said that heavy rain was expected in Murree, Galiyat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, and Jhelum.
Death toll tops 900
Monsoon rains have swollen three major rivers running through Punjab, inundating rural areas near their banks and flooding urban localities, including several parts of Lahore. Since June, floods and landslides triggered by heavier-than-usual rains have killed more than 900 people.
NDMA statistics revealed that at least 910 people have died and 1,044 injured across the country in rain and flood-related incidents this season. With 504 deaths, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) reported the highest number of fatalities.
It was followed by Punjab 234, Sindh 58, Balochistan 26, Gilgit-Baltistan 41, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 38, and Islamabad nine fatalities. The NDMA also reported 6,180 livestock deaths and damage to 7,848 houses.
(WITH INPUT FROM APP)