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LAHORE, Aug 30 (APP): Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said on Saturday that timely decisions by the Punjab government had significantly reduced damage to human settlements.
Talking to the media at PDMA headquarters, here, he said the northeastern belt of Punjab is currently experiencing sustained rainfall, which has caused flood-like conditions in several areas. It means water levels are rising, relief operations are being hampered, and the risk of further flooding is high as the rain continues.
The DG said that Mandi Bahauddin and Gujrat received 80 millimeters of rainfall, which has hampered relief operations in the region. He informed that at Ganda Singh, water flow had reached 303,000 cusecs, prompting the Pakistan Army and district administration to evacuate 20 villages overnight to ensure safety of the population.
Providing further details, he told that at Head Sulaimanki, the flow has exceeded 100,000 cusecs, and a potentially dangerous situation could develop at Head Islam within the next 24 hours. At Head Marala, the discharge has risen to 175,000 cusecs, while a reduction has been recorded at Qadirabad Bridge. He added that Rewas Bridge was deliberately breached yesterday as part of the Punjab government’s flood management strategy.
The DG PDMA warned that at Trimmu Headworks, a flow of around 900,000 cusecs is expected to pass through Jhang between 6 am and 9 am on Sunday, creating a highly critical situation.
He further said that the River Ravi had already experienced a discharge of 220,000 cusecs, while at Head Balloki, 211,000 cusecs were recorded, with an additional 20,000 cusecs from Nankana Sahib. This combined flow, he noted, would culminate in 700,000 cusecs at Head Muhammadwala near Multan, where breaching may become necessary to manage the massive water pressure.