LAHORE: Floods continue to hit Punjab, as Ravi and Chenab rivers near Khanewal put the districts of Multan and Muzaffargarh, at high risk.
Addressing a press conference, PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said that the flood crisis was set to intensify as all three major Indian dams were expected to reach their maximum capacity within the next 72 hours, exacerbating an already catastrophic situation in the Punjab river system. Addressing a press conference, DG Kathia revealed that his office had received three separate flood warnings in the past 24 hours alone.
Kathia stated that while the water level in the Chenab River was currently stable, previously affected districts along its course were likely to face renewed flooding. The Sutlej River has been in a flood-like condition for the past two months, while the Ravi River was experiencing rising levels at the Jassar monitoring point. “The next 72 hours are critical,” he said .
“Thein Dam is already full and will continue to release water into the Ravi for the next two to three weeks. While the situation in Ravi will not be as severe as before, water levels will definitely increase” DG PDMA added.
The DG explained that instead of merging with the Chenab as normally expected, the Ravi’s waters are flowing backwards, preventing any decrease in its water levels. “Until water levels decrease at Ahmadpur Sial, we will not see any reduction at Sidhnai,” he clarified.
“At Sher Shah Bridge in Multan, there’s significant water pressure with only a two-foot margin remaining,” he revealed. “Important decisions regarding a controlled breaching in Multan have already been made to prevent uncontrolled overflow.”
Speaking about the damage, the DG said that more than 3,900 villages and a population exceeding 3.7 million had been affected across Punjab. The death toll has risen to 46 people, while over 1.4m residents and 1m animals had been relocated to safer locations.
The relief effort has expanded to include 409 flood camps where all essential facilities are being provided to approximately 25,000 displaced persons currently taking shelter.
In the Khanewal and Toba Tek Singh districts, the flooding has already affected 136 and 75 villages, respectively, with numbers expected to rise in light of renewed surges.
