After flash floods due to abnormally heavy rains lay waste to several areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera and Swat, flood waters have now entered Punjab. There is a grave risk of flooding in Mianwali where authorities are looking to safely evacuate residents. The water level in the Indus River near Rajanpur is on the rise and there is a risk the already inundated town may suffer another flood. Moreover, due to a flood in Chenab River, the undeveloped areas of Liaquatpur have been submerged. The Jinnah Barrage built on Indus River will likely witness a heavy water flow of 700,000 cusecs which may affect 47 areas. Incharge Zameer Kazim at the Jinnah Barrage in Kalabagh said early morning that the flow of water into the barrage currently stands at 427,000 cusecs, while the outflow has been recorded at 424,000 cusecs. Jinnah Barrage’s total capacity to hold water is 950,000 cusecs, he said. The Flood Forecasting Division informed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) yesterday that “very high” and “above level” flooding is likely to continue in Kabul River at Nowshera during the next 24 hours. It also said that Indus River at Kalabagh and Chashma is likely to attain “high” to “very high” flood level during the next 24 to 48 hours. All district and city administrations were asked to timely evacuate the at-risk population from the flood-prone areas.
