As the devastating flood headed downstream after wreaking havoc in many Punjab cities with the government resorting to blowing up embankments to divert the floodwater to save urban centres from the Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej rivers, which were overflowing simultaneously for the first time in the country’s history, the authorities have now deployed dynamites to bunds to protect Multan. With extremely high flood in Chenab River roaring towards Multan, the authorities were all set to blow up five dykes at Basti Sanki, Basti Duaba, Chak Rohari, Chak Mithon and Shershah to save the City of Sufis.

As many as 28 deaths were reported from flood-related incidents from across the province. Extremely High flood in Sutlej River is now threatening Kasur city. The floodwater has submerged many cities including Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan, Arifwala, Qabula, Kamalia, Lodhran, Manawala, Sarai Mughal and Rojhan. With 855,000 cusecs expected to hit Head Trimmu soon, authorities have evacuated over 429,000 residents, deploying explosives and breaching embankments to protect urban centres from catastrophic flooding.

Bunds near Athara Hazari in Jhang district were breached yesterday to relieve pressure on Head Trimmu, situated downstream of the confluence of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers. To prevent inundation of Jhang city, the Rivaz Bridge flood bund was also blown up, and residents from adjacent villages were evacuated. Explosives and dynamites were deployed near Rungpur and Shershah bunds to strategically divert water away from Head Muhammad Wala.

“There was no other way to drain the water,” Relief Commissioner Nabil Javed said, defending the drastic measures. “We are deploying all available resources and machinery to protect lives and infrastructure.” The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a flood warning for the Chenab River at Head Marala. As a precautionary measure, the NDMA sent out alerts via SMS to mobile phone users. The authority warned of a high flood risk at Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad headworks, urging residents in these areas to remain prepared for any emergency situation.

Conditions on the Ravi River were mixed; Head Jassar was steady at 82,140 cusecs, and Ravi Syphon was falling at 160,515 cusecs. Shahdara was steady at 159,847 cusecs; however, Balloki Headworks continued to rise, reaching 180,520 cusecs. Sidhnai Headworks remained steady at 29,278 cusecs. The Sutlej River was showing increased activity at its upstream point, with Ganda Singh Wala rising at 385,569 cusecs.

Downstream, Sulemanki Headworks was steady at 138,058 cusecs, and Islam Headworks was steady at 60,814 cusecs. According to PDMA data, over 1.46 million people in 1,769 mouzas have been affected due to extremely high floods in the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers, with a total of 28 lives lost. The government has evacuated over 429,177 people, of whom 3,565 were living in 365 relief camps, and 300,174 cattle were transported to safety.

Around 40 to 45 villages were already inundated in Mandi Bahauddin before the water receded back into the river. National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Shahryar Sultan and Multan Commissioner Amir Kareem Khan visited the Head Muhammad Wala breaching section and Bund Bosan to review the flood management arrangements. Mr Khan briefed about the current flood situation and the measures being taken to mitigate potential risks.

He said that a flood surge of up to 800,000 cusecs is expected in the Chenab River within the next two days. “The Head Muhammad Wala Road will be breached if Multan city faces any threat. The final decision will be made by the technical committee of the Irrigation Department.” Multan Deputy Commissioner Waseem Hamid Sindhu said the administration has set a target of relocating 300,000 residents to safer locations and assured that all riverine areas will be evacuated by Saturday night.

The Indus River System Authority (IRSA) released 381,300 cusecs of water from various rim stations, with an inflow of 402,100 cusecs. According to official data, Tarbela Dam has reached its maximum conservation level of 1,550 feet, standing 148 feet above its dead level of 1,402 feet. The dam recorded an inflow of 188,500 cusecs against an outflow of 181,100 cusecs. At Mangla Dam, the water level stood at 1,223 feet, which is 173 feet higher than its dead level of 1,050 feet.

The inflow at the dam was recorded at 28,400 cusecs, while the outflow stood at 8,000 cusecs. Downstream releases included 206,300 cusecs at Kalabagh, 222,700 cusecs at Taunsa, 335,800 cusecs at Guddu, and 229,500 cusecs at Sukkur. From River Kabul, 32,200 cusecs were released at Nowshera, while 148,500 cusecs flowed from River Chenab at Marala. The latest figures reflect rising water levels across major reservoirs and rivers, ensuring steady flows for irrigation and other needs.

Early harvest of crops in Kabirwala A large flood wave is moving from Head Balloki towards Head Sadhanai after the sudden rise in water level in River Ravi at Kabirwala on Saturday morning. Local residents were very upset about the arising situation, and the rising outflow of water was also recorded at Daduana, which forced them to move to other safer places. A citizen said that they started harvesting their crops prior to their time to avoid any loss. They urged the government to announce a relief package for the flood victims.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)