Water level of River Sutlej starts receding

ISLAMABAD: As water levels at Punjab’s River Sutlej began receding on Friday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicted more rains across the country in the coming week.

According to a statement by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the floodwater receded from a medium-level flood to low level.

A day ago, a rescue operation was conducted in the Kasur district as water from the Sutlej river flooded 15 villages, deprived four others of electricity and washed away standing crops.

The PDMA stated that both, the inflow and outflow, of water at the point of Ganda Singhwala was 74,600 cusecs.

Noting that there was a low level flood at the point of Head Sulemanki at River Sutlej, the PDMA said the inflow and outflow of water there was 58,187 cusecs.

It went on to say that the flow of water at the Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum was normal and asserted that the PDMA’s control room was closely monitoring the water flow in the rivers.

Separately, a report on the river levels issued by the PMD today stated, “River Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala and Sulemanki is in low flood level and falling, while all the other major rivers are flowing below low flood level.”

Forecasting the situation during the next 24 hours, it said, “Scattered wind thunderstorm/ rain of light to moderate intensity with isolated heavy falls is expected over the upper catchments of all the major rivers.”

It predicted the same over Islamabad, Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Sahiwal, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur divisions, adding that “isolated wind thunderstorm/rain is also expected over northeast Balochistan”.

In the rainfall recorded at the river catchments during the last 24 hours, the highest amount — 29 millimetres — was recorded at the Bahawalpur airport point at River Sutlej and Faisalabad’s city point at River Ravi.

Web Desk