Lahore:
Pakistan authorities released fresh flooding alerts on Monday after India released a large volume of water in Sutlej and the Chenab rivers without prior notice and raised the threat of severe flooding across several districts in Punjab.
Officials said that India circumvented the communication channels established in the Indus Water’s Treaty (IWT) and informed Islamabad only after the release through the Indian High Commission.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Water Resources confirmed high levels of flooding at lower Harike and Lower Ferozepur on Sutlej, with water streams waving since the beginning of 1. September.
Punjabs Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) warned that flooding water from Sutlej could affect nine districts: Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar, Vehari, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Multan and Muzaffargarh. Deputy Commissioners in the areas were instructed to prepare immediate preparations.
The Sutlej River experiences an extraordinary power of 253,068 CUSSCS. Further rainfall in the upper drainage and water releases from dams can generate another flood wave of up to 300,000 CUSSCS.
At Jassar, the Ravi River is currently flowing usually with 60,094 CUSERCS. However, due to possible rainfall and water releases from the dam, the current at Jassar can rise to 150,000 CUSSCS. Due to possible rainfall, Flash River fears in Ravis side elves – bein, bansants and dec.
The Ravi River also rose to dangerous levels near Renala Khurd, where dozens of villages were cut off. In the Khanewal district, flooding water from the Ravi and the Chenab rivers immersed thousands of hectares of crops, forcing lots of evacuations.
In Burewala, a wave of 190,000 CUSERCS continued to sweep through agricultural land and destroy cotton, rice, maize and sesame plantations. Several protective dams collapsed, enabling waters to spread so far to Sahuja. Discharge of Simly Dam was also opened after the water level reached 2,314.90 feet.
At Marala, the Chenab River is currently at a low level with a current of 94,728 CUSSCS. Rain in Jammu and Indian Occupied Illegal Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK), combined with water releases from upstream dams, including Salal, Baglihar and Dul Hasti, are likely to cause a sharp increase in current.
PDMA -Human Director Irfan Ali Kathia said India had released water from Salal, Nangal and Harike barriers and sent a large wave downstream that could hit his head Marala within two days.
In Jhang, the Trimmu headwork recorded flowing more than 550,000 CUSSCS, immersive dozens of villages and cutting road connections. Floodwaters flooded larger routes, including Sargodha Road and Pirkot Masan Road, causing highway officials to insert heavy machines.
Punjab officials said that more than 500 roads and 60 bridges had been damaged over the province.
Provincial Minister of Information Azma Bukhari described the situation as “extraordinary”, which accused India’s sudden water release for the composition of Monsun flooding that was already underway. She said rescue teams using drones and thermal imaging had evacuated thousands and that relief operations were underway.
Residents of Narowal reported that entire roads were washed away and isolated societies. In one case, a family returning from a burial in Lahore was stranded after the only access road to their village was swept off flooding water. Farmers in several districts said that feed shortages had left their livestock in danger.
The authorities of Punjab and Sindh continued to promise relief and rehabilitation for displaced families. Bukhari urged political parties to dispose of disputes and focus on joint planning for riverbed -settlements and flood defense and said, “This is not time for politics.”
Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicts more heavy rain through September 3 across Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Kashmir, warning of additional flash floods, landslides and closures in vulnerable areas. PMD released a red warning for heavy rain from 1st to 3rd September.
It warned that stormy rainfall could trigger urban floods in low -lying neighborhoods and flash floods in local streams over Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Narowal, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Sheikhupura, Hafizabad and in the vicinity of District.
Similar conditions are expected in Jammu, Bhimber, Mirpur, Kotli, Punch, Haveli and adjacent areas where intense showers can also offset landslides and urban areas.
Vulnerable hilly terrain in KP, Murree, Galliyat and Kashmir face the risk of landslide and mud gliders that can lead to road closures, causing officials to advise residents, travelers and tourists to stay away from dangerous places and remain updated on weather alarms.
Meteorologists said the system is being driven by monsoon streams moving in from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, along with a Western disturbance affecting the country’s top regions, which are expected to continue through Tuesday.
They predicted widespread rain, wind and thunderstorms in Kashmir and the northeast Punjab with scattered activity in Islamabad and upper KP. Heavy rain is probably in parts of Kashmir, northeastern Punjab, Islamabad and Upper KP, while hot and dry weather is set to prevail elsewhere.
Over the past 24 hours, scattered rain and thunderstorms surfed upper KP, Kashmir, northeastern Punjab, Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan, while the rest of the country remained warm and humid. Saidu Sharif recorded 26 mm rain, Balakot 25, Malam Jabba 16, Garhi Dupatta 24, Kotli 8 and Kasur 9.
In Islamabad, Saidpur logged 10 mm and Golra 4, while Narowal reported 5 and Rawalpindi Chaklala 3, Chilas in Gilgit-Baltistan received 8 mm. Despite the widespread showers, parts of Balochistan remained burning, where Dalbandin recorded the highest temperature at 43 Celsius, followed by 42 in Nokundi.
Punjab is already facing one of the worst flooding pressure in his history.
PDMA General Irfan Ali Kathia said so far that more than 3,100 villages and 2,900 settlements have been flooded, affecting over 2.4 million people. At least 41 people have lost their lives with eight wounded, while thousands of homes and large stretches of agricultural land have been destroyed.
Rescue cubicles perform the largest operation in their history after evacuating over 900,000 people to secure locations along with more than 600,000 livestock. The cattle department delivers feed and feed to the displaced animals.
However, the ninth magic form is expected to bring more rainfall in the next 48 hours, which could aggravate conditions in Rawalpindis Nullah Leh and other low -lying areas.
Meanwhile, rising flooding water from the Sutlej River has reached the Ganda Singh border in Kasur, forcing the suspension of the traditional evening flag-lowering ceremony, jointly by Pakistan Ranger’s Punjab and India’s border safety force (BSF).
According to officials, the suspension will remain in place until the flood water is fully back.
They confirmed that water coming in from Kasur has flooded parts of the border area, while on the Indian side they are also affected low-lying areas in the Ferozepur district. Authorities on both sides agree to suspend the daily parade for security reasons until the situation is normalized.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) expected that a peak stream of 1.3 million CUSERCs could reach SINDH by September 5. Sindh Minister of Chief Murad Ali Shah said his government is fully prepared to tackle a super flood, with schemes in place to safely control a stream of up to 900,000 CUSERCS.
However, he warned that 1.2 to 1.3 million CuseC’s water from India could reach the Guddu barrier. Shah noted that 550,000 CUSERCS had already passed through the SUKKUR and KOTRI barriers, adding that the barriers have the capacity to withstand streams of up to a million CUSSCS.
With input from our correspondent in Karachi
