ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has asked relevant departments to issue warnings and expedite the evacuation of residents from Ganda Singh Wala village in the eastern Punjab province in response to a “very high-level” water surge in the Sutlej River.
The river, coursing through both northern India and Pakistan, has witnessed a substantial rise after New Delhi released excess water from reservoirs due to the ongoing monsoon season.
Earlier this week, the NDMA said India had released 141,000 cusecs of water from the Pong Dam and 83,703 cusecs from the Bhakra Dam into the river, adding that up to 125,000 cusecs of water would enter the Pakistani territory.
“Sutlej River is experiencing high-level of flows at Ganda Sing Wala,” the NDMA said in a statement. “This trend will persist for the next 24-48 hours and the flows will be reflected/ passed on downstream to Sulemanki and Islam [villages] in the next 48 to 76 hours.”
It added that the provincial disaster management body should ensure the timely early warning and evacuation of populations living in vulnerable and low-lying areas.
The NDMA also directed the authorities concerned to take prompt action in the management and regulation of water in reservoirs, share frequent weather updates, conduct extensive public awareness campaigns regarding safety, and ensure the availability and functionality of all essential flood response equipment in flood-prone areas, among others.
Last month, water levels in the Ravi River, which crosses northwestern India before entering eastern Pakistan, also rose to a high level after New Delhi released about 185,000 cusecs of water.
In 2022, floods caused by heavy monsoon rains and the melting of glaciers caused massive destruction in different parts of Pakistan, claiming 1,700 lives, displacing millions, destroying agricultural land, and incurring damages worth $30 billion, according to government estimates.
