• Overflowing Indus and Chenab destroy houses, farmland in several districts; stagnant rainwater in Hafizabad yet to be drained
• Authorities asked to prepare for another monsoon spell starting today
• Babusar Road ‘partially reopened’ as search continues for tourists swept away by torrents
LAHORE: Floods in the Indus and Chenab rivers have inundated over a dozen villages in several districts of Punjab, prompting the authorities to evacuate thousands of people to safer locations, while the government has asked rescue departments to brace for urban and riverine floods as well as landslides in light of the new monsoon spell starting today.
In the southern districts of Punjab, district administrations issued emergency alerts across different villages as floods in the Indus and Chenab destroyed houses and crops. In Rajanpur, standing crops were destroyed by the Indus, which also impacted Taunsa and D.G. Khan districts.
In Layyah and Taunsa, panic spread after a crack emerged in a ‘guide embankment’ built by the National Highway Authority (NHA) to protect the Layyah-Taunsa bridge. Though the bridge remained intact, the breach submerged Taunsa’s several villages, including Basti Kumharan, Basti Mangotha, and Basti Sohbewala, forcing the residents to flee. The floods in Taunsa also left entire settlements and agricultural zones submerged, with the rescue and relief operations underway to save lives and property.
Hundreds of people from Bait Ashraf and Jarh Leghari villages in Taunsa displaced by floods, meanwhile, awaited the government’s help, as their houses and the roads came under water, which forced them to relocate to higher grounds.
In Jhang, the raging Chenab River inundated more than 10 villages and destroyed crops and residential areas, besides destroying key road networks.
In central Punjab’s Hafizabad district, rapid erosion along the Chenab’s banks washed away hundreds of acres of farmland. Hafizabad and Sukheke were also affected by stagnant rainwater, which has not been drained for more than 10 days.
According to the PMD, low to medium-level flows are expected in the rivers Jhelum and Chenab due to the expected rainfall from July 29 to 31. It also said flash flooding was expected in the tributaries of the River Kabul and hill torrents of DG Khan from July 29 to 31. The PMD also forecasted a medium-level flood at Taunsa and Guddu in the Indus, while Tarbela, Kalabagh, Chashma and Sukkur are experiencing low floods.
A report by the Punjab Disaster Management Authority on Monday said that 152 citizens have been killed and 539 have been injured in accidents during the monsoon rains this year. 210 houses were affected, and 121 livestock were killed. The deaths were due to lightning, collapse of damaged buildings, drowning while bathing in rivers and electrocution, the report added.
Another rain spell
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) stated that widespread rainfall was anticipated in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), with heightened risks of flooding, landslides, and urban flooding in vulnerable districts. The spell, which will start today, will end on July 31.
The NDMA instructed all relevant departments to remain on high alert, pre-deploy flood response teams and equipment, and ensure the immediate clearance of drainage systems.
In Punjab, significant rainfall is anticipated in Sargodha, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Lahore, Narowal, and adjoining areas. Southern districts, including Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, and Rahim Yar Khan may receive moderate rainfall.
Torrents in D.G. Khan and Rajanpur could be reactivated with medium flows, while nullahs originating from the Pir Panjal range may also see a rise in water levels.
In KP, moderate rainfall and localised thunderstorms are expected to affect central and lower districts, such as Kohistan, Swat, Malakand, Dir and Buner.
Tributaries like River Swat, Panjkora, Bara, and Kalpani Nullah may swell and contribute to rising flows in River Kabul at Nowshera.
River Chitral and its tributaries may also surge due to a combination of glacial melting and rainfall in Booni, Reshun, and adjacent parts of Chitral Valley. Urban flooding is also anticipated in Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera, and Abbottabad.
The authority has also issued flood alerts for various areas of GB and AJK, as rainfall is expected in Gilgit, Skardu, Hunza, and Shigar, as well as in AJK’s Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley, and Bagh.
Babusar Road partially reopened
In GB, the Babusar Road was partially reopened on Monday as a search operation to locate the people swept away by torrents after heavy rains continued.
GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq said that the Babusar-Naran Highway had “been reopened for one-way traffic”.
He further said, “Several families…have contacted the government about the missing people and appealed for help in their search.” The TV anchor, who was reported to be among those swept away by floods, could not be traced on Monday, but her wrecked vehicle was found by the rescuers.
The Ghanche district administration also made arrangements for the displaced villagers from Kundus valley and Haldi, and provided them tents, food packs, and installed kitchens for them. The government also mobilised machinery to clear roads to the Kundus and Saltoro valleys.
Officials said a tent village with running water and electricity had been set up for the displaced people and damage assessments were underway which would be submitted for compensation. A mobile veterinary dispensary has been set up at the flood site, and a temporary power supply has been restored and all roads in the affected areas are currently open.
