LAHORE , July 12, 2023: As the Met Office predicted more monsoon rains from Thursday [July 13] in various parts of the country, the residents living along Sutlej were on the edge after a warning that the river might be in medium to high flood at Ganda Singh Wala, a border village in Kasur, during the next 24 to 28 hours.
It means India is going to release more water into the river because of persistent rains in the catchment 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 hundreds of thousands of acres.
In this connection, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has directed the authorities concerned to continuously monitor the situation at Jassar – a border town of Narowal district where the first control structure on River Ravi in Pakistan is located – and Trimmu Barrage in Jhang district, which regulates the flow of River Chenab.
As far as the rainy spell is concerned, the Met Office says it will affect Pakistan from July 13 to 17 as monsoon currents from Arabian sea are likely to penetrate in upper and central parts of the country from July 12 (evening) which are likely to intensify on 14th.
Moreover, a westerly wave is also expected to enter upper parts on July 14 evening, meaning that the interaction between the two systems could cause extreme weather events.
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.
At the same time, farmers have been advised to manage their activities keeping in view the weather forecast while tourists and travellers should remain extra cautious to avoid any untoward situation.
Moreover, dust/wind storms may also damage loose structures like electricity poles and solar panels as people are asked to stay at safe places during this situation.