KARACHI: The changing flow of the Indus has altered the flood picture in Sindh. Heavy upstream discharges that had earlier pushed Guddu Barrage into high flood have now shifted further down, easing Guddu to medium levels but swelling Sukkur Barrage into high flood, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Thursday.
According to the PDMA, quoting official data, the inflow at Sukkur Barrage was recorded at 562,175 cusecs at 6:00 a.m., placing it in high flood. At Guddu Barrage, flows dropped to 503,794 cusecs, reducing its status to medium flood.
The PDMA further noted, citing the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s (PMD) flood bulletin issued at 10:45 a.m., that Sukkur, with a design capacity of 900,000 cusecs, is expected to maintain between 550,000 and 480,000 cusecs over the next 24 hours, gradually receding from high to medium levels. Guddu, with a design capacity of 1.2 million cusecs, is forecast to ease further, with flows ranging from 490,000 to 400,000 cusecs.
Meanwhile, the PMD forecast warned that hot and humid weather will persist across most of Sindh, with partly cloudy skies and chances of drizzle along the coast. Karachi is likely to see humid conditions with light rain at night and in the morning. Temperatures will range between 31 and 33 degrees Celsius, with lows of 26 to 28 degrees Celsius, and humidity climbing to as high as 85 percent. Winds will continue from the west and southwest.
The PDMA also reported that the country’s major reservoirs are near full capacity. Tarbela Dam has touched its maximum conservation level of 1,550 feet, with live storage at 100 percent, while Mangla Dam stands at 1,238.60 feet against a maximum level of 1,242 feet, with live storage at 96 percent. Officials warned that with reservoirs brimming, downstream barrages are likely to remain under sustained pressure.
Authorities have urged residents in low-lying areas near Sukkur to stay alert, noting that while Guddu has eased, Sukkur now bears the brunt of the Indus surge. PDMA also cautioned that Kotri Barrage may face mounting pressure in the coming days, with forecasts suggesting medium flood levels could persist there until the end of the month.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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