The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned authorities in Punjab and Sindh of another flood deluge originating in India. The flood torrent will likely enter Pakistan over the weekend or early next week and may add to the woes of flood-hit regions.
In a warning issued Tuesday night, the NDMA has advised the authorities to evacuate people from low-lying areas on the banks of Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers.
The warning has been issued following an alter by the flood forecasting division (FFD) of Pakitan. The alert dated September 13 said that the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh (MP) may receive heavy rains and this “may affect upper catchment areas of eastern rivers (Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab) from 17/18 September.”
“Flows may increase in rivers Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab and their associated tributaries/ nullah,” the FFD bulletin said.
The NDMA has told all the concerned departments, especially the irrigation department, district administrations and others to take the following steps:
- Communities at risk must be warned
- Enhanced alert level must be maintained with monitoring of the evolving situation to reduce response time
- Rescue teams and equipment must be pre-placed in vulnerable areas for rapid deployment
- People living along the banks of the three rivers must be informed about the looming danger
- Population that face risk should be evacuated from low-lying or flood-prone areas as per the evacuation plans
- In case of any eventuality, a special situation report or update must be shared immediately with NDMA.
The three eastern rivers merge into the Indus River before it enters the Sindh province.
A heightened flow in these rivers could increase pressure on dykes in Sindh, where vast swaths of land remain submerged in floodwater for weeks now