ISLAMABAD: The River Sutlej in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province continues to flood and water torrents threaten multiple districts across the province, the country’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Thursday, warning people in low-lying areas.
The river, traversing both northern India and Pakistan, has witnessed a significant surge in water level following New Delhi’s release of hundreds of thousands of cusecs from reservoirs due to the ongoing monsoon season.
It is flooding moderately at Ganda Singh Wala Barrage, Islam Headworks and Sulemanki Headworks, according to the NDMA. The districts under threat from possible floods include Kasur, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan and Vehari.
“The Punjab PDMA (provincial disaster management authority) must ensure timely warning and evacuation of vulnerable people from lowlands near Ganda Singh Wala Barrage, Islam Headworks and Sulemanki Headworks on the Sutlej River and ensure provision of medical care and relief items to displaced people in the camps,” the NDMA said.
“Monitor the flow of traffic in sensitive areas, keep the machinery ready to deal with emergency situation and make arrangements for relocation of people living in low-lying areas.”
Pakistan is currently witnessing monsoon rains that began in late June. The showers have triggered flash floods in several areas and claimed more than 200 lives so far this year.
With multiple Pakistani rivers experiencing persistent flooding, around 250,000 individuals have been successfully evacuated to safer places, according to the NDMA. The agency has also mobilized hundreds of boats and rescue personnel to assist the administration in rescue efforts.
The rains have returned a year after climate-induced downpours swelled rivers and inundated at one point a third of the South Asian country, killing 1,739 people. The floods also caused $30 billion in damage in cash-strapped Pakistan in 2022.
