Islamabad/Peshawar:
Heavy monsoon rain pushed river levels over Punjab to dangerous heights, flooding villages, destroyed crops and cut off Earth’s access in several districts as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday released an emergency after forecasts for a fresh Monsun stick this week.
The NDMA warning came when the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) rolled under one of the most catastrophic boundaries in the recent memory that killed more than 300 people. Given the widespread destruction of the province, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif rushed his ministers to oversee relief efforts in the districts affected.
Pakistan is struggling with one of the deadliest monsoon seasons in recent memory as gracious rainfall, flash floods and landslides have claimed at least 657 lives and left nearly 1,000 wounded since the end of June, according to NDMA.
NDMA’s National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) emitted an emergency alarm that forecasts heavily to very heavy rain over Punjab, KP, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and parts of Sindh.
In a media briefing, NDMA chairman LT Gen Inam Haider warned that two to three more monsoon-trill forms are expected before mid-September, with precipitated intensity projected to 50-60% above average. He attributed to the deteriorating situation for climate change.
KP is the worst affected. Widespread destruction has been reported in buns, bajaur, swat and Shangla. From Sunday, the death toll rose from Friday’s Skybursts, Lightning and Flash Flooding to 323, including 209 in the Buner District -The disaster’s episent.
According to KP PDMA, the deceased 273 men, 29 women and 21 children include, while wounded include 123 men, 23 women and 10 children. PDMA said a total of 336 houses were damaged so far, with 230 partially destroyed and 106 completely torn.
Since June 26, NDMA said, rain-related incidents have killed 657 people-171 children and 94 women’s 929 others have been injured. KP, added it, suffered the worst with 390 deaths – 288 men, 59 children and 43 women.
In Punjab, 164 lives have been lost, with children who make up the largest proportion of deaths. Sindh reported 28 deaths, Balochistan 20 fatalities, Gilgit-Baltistan 32, AJK 15 and Islamabad Capital Territory 8, according to NDMA.
The destruction is widespread. “Connection with several settlements in Gilgit-Baltistan and KP has been cut off due to flash flows and landslides.
Neoc said the rainy system was active over the Pakistan region and could cause heavily to very heavy rain over the next 24 hours. Heavy to very heavy rain with thunderstorms is also expected for Islamabad with intermittent breaks, it added.
North and upper KP districts, including Swat, Buner, Shangla, Dir, Mansehra, Battagtagram, Abbottabad and Malakand, are expected to receive heavy rain over the next 24 hours with potential flash floods and landslide in hilly areas, according to Neoc.
Widespread rain is expected in Potohar and northeastern districts, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Narowal, Hafizabad and Mandi Bahauddin. Central and southern districts – Multan, Rajanpur, Layyah, Bhakkar and Sahiwal – would see scattered thunderstorms.
Scattered thunderstorms are expected for Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Marran and Swabi. Southern districts including Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Karak and Kohat may experience scattered rain and thunderstorms with occasional heavy falls.
Similarly, AJK districts including Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh, Haveli, Kotli, Mirpur and Bhimber and Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, Ghizer, Diamer, Astore, Ghanda and Shigar districts in Gilgit-Baltistan, which probably receive heavy rainfall, Floods, especially in the mountains.
Coastal districts Sindh – Karachi, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin and Tharparkar – can see intermittent showers or thunderstorms. Central and Upper Sindh – Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Dadu, Khairpur, Sukkur, Ghotki, Larkana, Shikarpur, Jacobabad and Kashmore – are likely to receive moderately for heavy rainfall.
In Balochistan, districts, including Lasbela, Khuzdar, Awaran, Kalat, Gwadar, Turbat and Panjgur, are expected to receive scattered rain, while northern and central districts including Quetta, Ziarat, Zhob, Loralai, Barkhan, Musa Khel, dera Bugti and Kohlu can see Light Showers.
NDMA urged citizens to avoid non-essential journeys and remain aware of changing weather conditions. “People are advised to park vehicles in safe areas, away from trees, signage and weak structures, and to avoid movement near rivers, streams and landslide zones,” it states.
“Crossing submerged roads, bridges or fast -flowing water channels are severely deterred. Institutions must take precautionary measures, ensure that machines and pumps are ready for drainage in low -lying areas and responds quickly to any new threats.”
Help efforts
Meanwhile, relief efforts in KPS affected areas continued. On the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, additional relief items were sent to the flooded affected areas. At his directives, federal ministers will participate in relief operations.
The Prime Minister’s office stated in a distribution that Minister of Kashmir and GB Monants Amir Muqam would oversee the distribution of relief goods in the Shangla and Buner districts with the help of the Minister of Power.
Minister of Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf will oversee operations in Mansehra, while the Prime Minister’s special assistant Mubarak Zeb will supervise Bajaur, according to the award.
The Prime Minister personally supervises NDMA’s relief operations in all flooded districts in KP. “We stand with the flood victims in this difficulty hour,” the award quoted the prime minister.
KP PDMA said on Sunday that it sent 89 trucks with reliefs, including over 2,800 tents, 3,800 blankets, 1,750 sun lamps and RS800 million in financial assistance to the affected areas.
KP Minister of Chief Ali Amin Gandapur visited SWAT. He assured the flood victims that the government would rebuild their destroyed houses and move families from the river beds to newly developed settlements.
Meanwhile, Punjab PDMA said the province is currently experiencing the seventh magic form with monsoon rain, which would continue until August 23. The officials warned that Cloudbursts remained an opportunity in Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Jhelum, Chakwal and Attock.
Over the past 24 hours, heavy rain was recorded in several parts of Punjab. Islamabad received up to 76 millimeters at Golra and 75 millimeters at Saidpur, while Rawalpindi registered 53 millimeters at Chaklala. Jhelum, Sialkot, Mangla and Mandi Bahauddin also reported on considerable rain.
Due to the rain, the Sutlej River has risen sharply in the Kasur district that submerged dozens of villages and large farmers. PDMA -Employees reported on water discharge at the Ganda Singh Wala headwork reached 75,000 CUSSCS.
The wave destroyed standing crops, damaged hundreds of hectares of agricultural land and displaced scores of families. Authorities warned that further water releases from India’s Harike headwork could intensify flooding, which is further jeopardizing societies downstream.
In Bahawalnagar, violations of protective dams have enabled flooding water to spread in villages, which asks the district administration to impose section 144 to limit the civil movement along Riverbanks.
In Narowal’s Zafarwal Tehsil, Dek Nullah swollen with more than 22,000 CuseC’s water flooding villages nearby and damaged homes. Rescue teams deployed boats to move stranded residents, while flooding camps provide the necessary help, officials said.
The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) reported that the Indus River was in medium flood in Kalabagh, Chashma and Taunsa, while Tarbela Dam is at 98% capacity. Mangla Dam is 1,211 feet, only 30 meters below its maximum stock level.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif ordered all administrations and rescue agencies to remain in high alarm, especially in Murree, Rawalpindi, Jhelum and Koh-E-Sulaiman Dale. A ban on tourist trips to Murree has been imposed in the midst of fear of cloudbursts and landslides.
