Sutlej River in Medium flood at Ganda Singh Wala: PDMA

LAHORE: Sutlej River has been in medium flood at Ganda Singh Wala in Kasur district with water flow surged to 1,15,000 cusecs, citing Provincial Disaster Management Authority, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The PDMA has warned against likely high flood in Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala and Sulemanki Headworks.

An upsurge continuing in Sutlej River at various points as water flow at Sulemanki measured 62,118 and several villages and hundreds of acres farmland reported submerged in floodwater in Kasur and Okara.

The Flood Forecasting Division has apprehended further increase in Sutlej water flow, which is consistently on rise at Sulemanki Headworks.

“The water in Sutlej river could reach to 1,50,000 cusecs at Head Sulemani,” irrigation officials cautioned.

India had released over 2,00,000 cusecs water in Sutlej downstream in Pakistan on Tuesday after persistent rains in the catchment areas of the river. India had discharged water from Harike and Ferozepur waterworks in River Sutlej downstream areas.

It was in 1988 that Pakistan had witnessed worst flooding in the two eastern rivers – Ravi and Sutlej – which devastated crops and livelihoods over thousands of acres.

Moreover, the water flow goes down to 18,000 cusecs in Ravi at Shahdara, according to the flood forecasting division.

The Met Office has predicted rainfall under the influence of a westerly wave from July 13 to 17 as monsoon currents from Arabian sea likely to penetrate in upper and central parts of the country from July 12 (today) which likely to intensify by July 14th.

It said heavy rains might cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Gujranwala and Lahore from July 14 to 17 as well as triggering landslides in Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the period.

Rain/wind-thundershower is also expected in Barkhan, Loralai, Kalat, Khuzdar, Zhob, Lasbella, Awaran, Musakhel, D.G khan, Rajanpur, Multan, Bhakkar, Layyah, Kot Addu, Sukkur, Jacobabad, Nagarparkar, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Sanghar, Mirpur Khas from 14th to 16th July.