Punjab Flood Alert After India Releases Excess Dam Water
Lahore / Srinagar – A Punjab Flood Alert has been issued as the towns of Chiniot and Hafizabad face the risk of devastating floods after heavy monsoon rains swelled the Chenab River beyond safe levels, putting massive pressure on the Qadirabad barrage, officials warned on Thursday.
Experts at Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) cautioned that a potential collapse of the barrage could endanger more than 2.8 million people in the region.
The Punjab Flood Alert intensified after India released excess water from its dams, increasing river flows into Pakistan’s Punjab. Authorities have already evacuated over 210,000 residents near the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers.
Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb urged calm, saying: “As one nation, we will face this challenge together. There is no need to panic.”
Since late June, Pakistan has reported 805 flood-related deaths, while in Indian-administered Kashmir, heavy rains have killed 60 people this month.
To ease pressure on the barrage, authorities intentionally breached parts of the riverbank on Wednesday. Still, more than 900,000 cusecs of water are flowing through the Chenab, exceeding its capacity by 100,000 cusecs.
With the Punjab Flood Alert in effect, both Pakistan and India remain on high alert, as multiple flood warnings were issued this week. Forecasters predict rainfall will gradually subside from Thursday.
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