Water level rising in River Sutlej in Arifwala where several settlements and crops are feared to be submerged: 50,000 cusecs water passing through River Ravi at Shahdara.  The PDMA on Tuesday issued a flood alert after India released water in River Sutlej. The neighbouring country also released 185,000 cusecs water in River Ravi on Sunday. According to the PDMA, India has released 95,027cusecs of water in River Sutlej today from Harike which has raised the water level to over 16 feet. The water released by India will reach Pakistan in 12 hours at Ganda Singhwala in Kasur district. At Ganda Singhwala in Kasur, the water level in the Sutlej is 18,000 cusecs. It is increasing continuously. The water level is rising in River Sutlej in Arifwala. Due to vanishing of Dhola Bund on the bank of River Sutlej, it is feared that several settlements and crops will be inundated. At this time, the water flow in River Sutlej at Arifwala is 70,000 cusecs. The PDMA has directed the deputy commissioners of Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahawalnagar and Vehari to complete the precautionary flood measures and keep the staff in the emergency control room alert all the time.

 PDMA DG Imran Qureshi ordered that disaster response teams of the Rescue 1122 should be kept on high alert. After India released water in Ravi and Chenab rivers, there is a state of emergency in view of the flood situation. The concerned agencies are alert and monitoring the situation. The water flow in the River Ravi has become faster than the previous day and the level is getting higher. 50,000 cusecs water is currently passing through River Ravi at Shahdara.However, the water flow in River Ravi at Jassar has decreased from 61,000 to 36,000.

 In River Chenab, flood water is passing through Chiniot where the water flow was recorded at 162,000 cusecs. River Chenab is in medium flood with 233,000 cusecs water flow.  In Wazirabad, the water level of River Chenab has decreased at Head Marala and Khanki Barrage. At Head Marala, the water inflow was 100,000 cusecs and the outflow was 84,000. At Khanki Barrage, the water inflow was 93,000 cusecs and the outflow was 86,000 cusecs. Due to continuous rise in the water level in Indus, Chenab and Sutlej rivers, there is a threat of flooding in various cities including Dera Ghazi Khan, Koh-e-Suleman, Taunsa, Mianwali, Bahawalpur and Rajanpur in southern Punjab.

 Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed rescue and disaster management bodies to ensure "foolproof measures" to deal with possible floods in Pakistani rivers. At least 80 people have died in Pakistan in weather-related incidents since June 25, with heavy rains impacting tens of thousands of people in the nation. Authorities have been on especially high alert for the season’s first flooding after India diverted waters from dams into the Ravi and Sutlej rivers, which flow from India into Pakistan, prompting evacuations from the lowlands in eastern Punjab province.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP