Sutlej River in medium flood at Sulemanki, Bahawalnagar

LAHORE: Sutlej River has been in medium flood at Sulemanki Headworks with continuous upsurge in the river water, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The river eroded and broken Jamal Dharangawala protective dyke of the river adjacent to Head Sulemanki, and the water submerged crops and adjacent settlements.

The water surging at Sulemanki and a water flow of 84,430 cusecs passing through Sutlej at the place.

Sadiqia Canal, Fordwah Canal and Pak Pattan Canal from Sulemanki headworks have been closed.

At Head Ganda Singh water outflow in Sutlej River has reached to 75,900 cusecs and the water level has surged to 20.40 feet.

The river also flowing in medium flood in Bahawalnagar district. The water has brokens various temporary protective dykes and affected dozens of settlements adjacent to the riverbank.

Several villages land link severed as a protective embankment near Falak Sher Sabuka broken. Rescue teams shifted 1215 people stranded in water to safety.

According to Rescue sources 15,000 cattle heads were also transferred to safer place.

Floodwater has destroyed standing crops at thousands of acres along with houses and other structures in the area.

Local authorities have directed people to evacuate to safer areas.

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