Floods hit Pakistan | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Floods hit Pakistan

LAHORE/QUETTA: Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are facing flood threat as the Met Office has forecast heavy rains in the next two days. There was a low-level flood in River Ravi at Baloki but the water level was gradually increasing.

According to Indus River System Authority (IRSA), in River Indus the water inflow at Tarbela was 256,000 cusecs and outflow was 140,000 cusecs, while in River Jhelum at Mangla the water inflow was 63,000 cusecs and outflow was 13,000 cusecs.

In River Chenab, the inflow was 126,800 cusecs and outflow was 91,800 cusecs at Marala. Water inflow recorded inRiver Sutlej near Head Sulemanki was 16,777 cusecs and outflow remained 4,792 cusecs.
According to the Meteorological Department, the three rivers of Punjab, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum, were facing flood threat. The department also forecast that within next 48 hours scattered rain/thundershower was expected over Azad Kashmir, Hazara, Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Lahore and Gujranwala divisions. The department predicted hot and humid weather elsewhere in the country.

Heavy rains in Sialkot and Narowal caused flood in Nullah Dek. Meanwhile, heavy rain in Wazirabad submerged standing crops on hundreds of acres of land. According to Irrigation officials, in Sialkot 5,000 cusecs of water was passing through Nullah Dek and 736 cusecs of water was passing through Nullah Palkhu. They feared that the water level would rise. Traffic on Narowal-Pasroor Road was suspended. The low-lying areas of Narowal were also inundated.

Three people were killed in Kotli Satyan near Rawalpindi when a wall collapsed due to heavy rain. Separately, Jamatud Dawa head Hafiz Saeed warned the government to be alert to face any flood emergency situation. He said India was letting water towards Pakistan deliberately to create floods. Saeed said, “India stores water at illegally made dams at Pakistani rivers and nullahs and let it move towards Pakistan intentionally in monsoon season to create such flood situations to destroy the crops on hundreds of acres of land.” He said further the government should take a firm step against such issues.

Separately, as many as four people received injuries and dozens of houses were swept away after heavy rains and flash floods passed through various parts of Khuzdar District on Thursday night.

According to reports, Khuzdar and its adjacent areas received heavy monsoon downpours that began on Thursday night and continued hitting different parts of the district, including Khuzdar city, Kattan, Balina, Salehabad, Latifabad, Badalabad, Marriabad, Faizabad and some other areas for several hours, causing flash floods.

As a result, four people were wounded after rain and floodwater inundated dozens of mud-houses in different villages, compelling the people to move towards safer places.

“Heavy rain and flash flood inflicted huge property losses to the people as dozens of mud-houses were washed away while dozens of houses developed cracks when heavy downpours damaged a flood protective embankment inundating low-laying areas of towns,” sources disclosed, adding that the flood also affected standing corps over a vast area. They also said that flood also disrupted communication system between different small towns in the district. Balochistan Irrigation Minister Sardar Muhammad Aslam Bizenjo, Kalat Division Commissioner Dr Zakir and other officials concerned visited the affected areas and assured the affectees of timely provision of relief goods.

Officials of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that relief goods, including tents and food items, had been dispatched to the affected areas of Khuzdar. However, the estimate of damages caused by rains and floods was yet to be determined, they added.

Meanwhile, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Muhammad Aslam Khan Raisani has ordered the PDMA for making early preparation to meet any emergency during possible monsoon rains in the province. He also directed the officials for immediate provision of relief goods and food items to the affectees in Khuzdar District.

Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf had expressed his anguish over the loss of lives and directed the quarters concerned to closely monitor the situation and keep him update.

Daily Times