Lahore:
Punjab is struggling with severe floods as relentless monsoon rains and water releases from India operate Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej Rivers to dangerous levels, which gets mass evacuations, emergency financing and insertion of army units for rescue operations.
Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) confirmed on Wednesday that high floods were registered in larger rivers. Water inflow continues to rise and put low -lying districts at serious risk.
PDMA General Irfan Ali Kathia warned that a stream of 150,000 CUSSCS (cubic foot per second) was expected to pass through Shahdara, while Kot Naina at Ravi experienced a stream of 230,000 CUSSCS. Jassar reported the flow of more than 229,000 CUSSCS.
The government has approved emergency funds for flood districts and ordered immediate evacuations along Ravis dams.
The army, Rangers, Rescue 1122, and police have been mobilized to support evacuations, deliver food and medicine and patrol vulnerable rural areas.
In Narowal, flooding water entered the Kartarpur corridor, while in Shakargarh, a rupture of a protective dam, immersed several settlements, forcing mass relocations.
Extremely high flood levels were registered in the Ravi River by Kot Naina, Jassar and Shahdara, which pose significant risks to low-lying neighborhoods and highways near the locality of Lahore.
In the Sutlej River, the flow towards Ganda Singh Wala rose between 196,000 and 245,000 CuseCs, which flooded dozens of villages in Kasur, Pakpattan and Bahawalnagar. Authorities confirmed that more than 4,000 inhabitants had been evacuated.
The River Chenab wore some of the heaviest volumes seen in recent years. On the head Qadirabad reached the water level 935,000 CUSERCS and exceeded Barrage’s design capacity of 800,000 CUSSCS.
To protect the structure, engineers deliberately violated protective diving in Mandi Bahauddin and Ali Pur Chatha. Upstream at the head Marala was recorded streams of nearly 700,000 CUSERCS. Flash flooding swept through smaller side elves like Nullah Dek in Sialkot, destroying bridges and cutting off the road access to several cities.
The provincial government announced RS2,18 billion in relief funds.
