Chenab water level surges at Head Marala amid flooding fears

CHINIOT: The water level is soaring in River Chenab at Head Marala as the local authorities apprehended medium level flooding in the river, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Deputy Commissioner Chiniot has directed concerned departments and the settlements along the river to take precautionary measures in view of likely flooding in Chenab.

The River Chenab flow coming from Head Marala will pass through Chiniot tomorrow, deputy commissioner said in a statement.

According to officials, the river water level at Head Marala has reached to 100,000 cusecs due to discharge of water in the river from India without prior intimation.

India has released one lac cusecs of water from its Salal dam into Chenab and the floodwater is expected to reach Head Marala in Pakistan today. The water discharged in Chenab could enhance the water level in the river to 2,20,000 cusecs.

The sources have apprehensions of medium level flood at Head Marala point in Pakistan and Sialkot, Gujranwala, Hafizabad and Gujrat districts could be affected by the floodwater.

The areas of Chiniot and Jhang could also be affected by the flooding in Chenab.

Earlier, Sialkot Deputy Commissioner said that all departments concerned had been alerted to deal with any emergency situation. He said that the district administration was keeping round-the-clock check and monitoring flood situation in River Chenab at Head Marala-Sialkot.

The Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) Lahore had earlier predicted medium to high floods in the Nullahs of Rivers Chenab & Ravi, River Jhelum at Mangla (Upstream) and flash flooding in the local Nullahs/streams of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir besides urban flooding in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Lahore Divisions during next 72 hours.