KARACHI: Continuing floods are surging towards Punjab’s capital, Lahore and the adjoining divisions of Gujranwala and Gujrat - as the Met Office on Sunday forecast more ‘heavy to very heavy’ rains, including torrential downpours, over the upper catchments of the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Chenab rivers through September 3.
The Flood Forecasting Division also warned that the intensified flows could push these rivers to very high and even exceptionally high flood levels, posing a severe risk of urban flooding across the three divisions.
The Chenab at Marala is forecast between 90 rising to 210 thousand cusecs. At Khanki the river flow is between 200 and 210 thousand cusecs, and at Qadirabad it is between 220 thousand cusecs falling to 130 thousand cusecs and rising to 210 thousand cusecs, all at high flood. The Chenab Bridge is expected between 290 and 330 at high flood, while Trimmu will rise between 280 and 600 thousand cusecs, ranging from medium to exceptionally high flood. At Punjnad, flows will reach between 90 and 150 thousand cusecs at low flood.
On the Sutlej, flows at Ganda Singh Wala are projected between 250 and 260 thousand cusecs at exceptionally high flood, at Sulemanki between 150 rising to 210 thousand cusecs at very high flood, and at Islam between 70 and 100 thousand cusecs at medium flood.
The Ravi is forecast at Jassar between 80 and 120 thousand cusecs, at Shahdara between 80 and 100 thousand cusecs, Balloki between 200 and 170 thousand cusecs, and Sidhnai between 50 and 80 thousand cusecs, placing the river between high and very high flood levels. The Beas River has no station readings but is expected to receive widespread heavy to very heavy rainfall with reservoir releases possibly worsening flows downstream.
The authorities cautioned that the Chenab at Trimmu will attain exceptionally high flood within 24 hours, the Chenab at Punjnad will reach very high flood on September 3, and the Indus at Guddu will rise to very high flood by September 5.
In Sindh, hot and humid conditions are forecast in most districts with thunderstorms and rain expected today in Jacobabad, Kashmore, Ghotki, Khairpur, Qamber Shahdadkot, Sanghar, Umerkot, Thatta, and Tharparkar. Guddu, Sukkur, and Kotri barrages are already experiencing low-level floods.
The 12:15 PST flood bulletin showed Guddu Barrage, with a capacity of 1,200 thousand cusecs, recording 322.8 inflow and 308.0 outflow, with forecasts of 310 to 250 in the next 24 hours, maintaining low flood. Sukkur Barrage, capacity 900, had inflows of 303.5 and outflows of 252.1, with forecasts between 300 and 260, also low flood. Kotri Barrage, capacity 875, recorded inflows of 273.8 and outflows of 244.7, with forecasts between 275 and 295, again low flood.
For Karachi Division, the three-day forecast from August 31 to September 2 indicates cloudy and humid conditions, drizzle at night on August 31 and in the morning or night of September 1, followed by partly cloudy weather on September 2. Maximum temperature will stay between 32 and 34 degrees Celsius, with minimums of 27 to 29. Morning humidity will remain between 70 and 80 percent, evenings between 60 and 70 percent, with westerly to south-westerly winds.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority directed all Deputy Commissioners and District Disaster Authorities to remain alert around the clock and take mitigation measures. The alert has been circulated to more than 45 provincial and federal institutions, police, utilities, cantonment boards, and humanitarian organizations including Edhi, Alkhidmat, Chhipa, JDC, and the Pakistan Red Crescent.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.