ISLAMABAD/SHAKARGARH , July 10, 2023: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the relevant authorities to make foolproof arrangements to handle the possible flood situation in the Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers.
He also ordered them to get prepared for timely and safe evacuation and raise awareness among the people in the potentially affected areas.
The prime minister appreciated the Rangers and Rescue 1122 personnel for the swift evacuation and assistance of the people trapped in floodwater in Shakargarh, saying their actions helped save dozens of people including women and children.
“I, along with the whole nation, pay tribute to the country’s dutiful personnel,” he remarked.
The directives were issued as a 70,000 cusec deluge in River Chenab entered Pakistan from the occupied Kashmir and affected Jalala – village located in the border area – destroying crops and inundating hundreds of acres of land.
As a result, many villagers, who were busy in rice cultivation, had been stranded. However, the local administration launched a rescue operation and shifted around 300 people – mostly women and children – to safety.
On the other hand, the water released by India into the River Ravi a day earlier will reach Shahdara area of Lahore in the next 24 hours.
Earlier on Sunday, India had released 185,000 cusecs of water into the River Ravi, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said, as it asked the administration and the relevant departments in the vulnerable area to enhance preparedness.
Last year, the Indian authorities had released 173,000 cusecs of water into the river – which was handed over to India under the Indus Waters Treaty along with Sutlej and Beas in 1960.
According to the PDMA, medium-level flood is being witnessed in the River Chenab at Marala and low-level at Khanki and Qadirabad.
It added that the relief camps had been established and other measures taken in the areas vulnerable to flooding in the Chenab and Ravi, as the situation was being monitored 24/7.