Lahore: The number of victims due to the recent devastating flood situation in Punjab has increased to 2.452 million, while 1 million people have been shifted to safer places so far. According to official data, 3,243 villages of the province have been submerged and 41 people have died in various incidents since August 26.
PDMA Punjab Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said that a decision may be taken to open the embankments at some places to save urban populations. According to him, India is continuously releasing water into the Sutlej River, which is not reducing its flow. He expressed fear that a large flood will reach Panjnad by September 5.
Meanwhile, according to the relief department, 395 relief camps have been set up across the province, while high-level flooding is expected in Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab for the next 72 hours.
Key figures
Total affected people: 24,52,185
People shifted to safer places: 10,00,000
Affected villages: 3,243
Deaths (since August 26): 41
Relief camps set up: 395
Situation in Chenab River and South Punjab
Low-level flooding has been recorded in Chenab River at Marala, where the water flow is 121,692 cusecs. The flow at Khanki Headworks was 120,000 and at Qadirabad was 135,000 cusecs. A huge flood of 490,000 cusecs entered Multan’s Head Muhammad Wala, as a result of which hundreds of villages from Jhok Vens to Head Muhammad Wala were submerged.
As a precautionary measure, the police have closed Muhammad Wala Road near Akbar Flood Dam to all types of traffic while work is underway to install dynamite, which may take 18 to 20 hours. Water has also started entering the Bosan Dam and Jhok Arabi areas and it is feared that a flood of 800,000 cusecs may pass through Multan.
Sutlej River and affected districts
In the Sutlej River, the water flow was recorded at Ganda Singh Wala at 253,000 cusecs, at Sulemanki at 124,000 and at Head Islam at 86,524 cusecs, which falls under the category of medium flood. The districts of Kasur, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan, Vehari, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Multan and Muzaffargarh have been affected by the high level of flood in the Sutlej River.
After the breach of the Chavika Bahadur dam in Bahawalnagar, several settlements were submerged while land connectivity was also cut off. In Okara, 112 settlements were affected and hundreds of mud houses were washed away. The flood situation has persisted at Ganda Singh in Kasur since last week. The number of people affected in Vehari has reached 65,695.
Water level in the Ravi River
The water flow in the Ravi River at Jasar is 54,000 cusecs, at Shahdara 60,000, while at the Balloki Headworks 137,000 cusecs has been recorded. The water inflow at Head Sadhanai is 177,000 cusecs, due to which Nankana Sahib and nearby areas have been submerged.
The PDMA has also issued a high-level flood alert due to the increase in water inflow in the Jammu Tawi River, which is likely to affect Gujarat and Sialkot.
