Heavy rain warning raises flood risk in low-lying areas

• Medium to high flows expected in nullahs linked to Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi
• Authorities on high alert as NDMA reviews flood preparedness

LAHORE: While rising river flows have pushed Tarbela Dam near its maximum capacity, the Met Office has warned of urban flooding and inundation in low-lying areas of several cities as heavy monsoon rains are expected on Tuesday (today).

According to the Flood Forecasting Divi­sion (FFD) of the Pakistan Meteorological De­­­­partment, heavy rainfall may trigger wat­er accumulation in low-lying areas of Islam­abad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Faisalabad, Multan, Sahiwal, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, the Potohar region, Peshawar and Nowshera.

The division also warned of flash flooding in hill torrents and local streams across Kashmir, Murree, Galiyat, northeastern Punjab, Islamabad, the Potohar region, some areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Dera Ghazi Khan. Medium to high flows are expected in nullahs linked to the Jhelum, Chenab and Ravi rivers, while flash floods are also likely in the hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan, streams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Kabul River and its tributaries, and parts of northern Balochistan.

Landslides are also feared in the mountainous districts of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Buner, Battagram, Mansehra, Shangla and Abbottabad, as well as Murree, Galiyat and the hilly areas of Azad Kashmir.

The FFD said the Indus River at Kalabagh, Guddu and Sukkur, and the Ravi at Balloki, are currently flowing at low flood level. It urged all relevant authorities to remain on alert and take precautionary measures to deal with possible rain-related emergencies.

According to the Water and Power Development Authority’s (Wapda) daily water report, the Indus at Tarbela recorded inflows of 250,700 cusecs and outflows of 191,900 cusecs on Monday. The Kabul River at Nowshera recorded both inflows and outflows of 43,700 cusecs, while the Jhelum at Mangla registered inflows of 44,700 cusecs and outflows of 7,000 cusecs. The Chenab at Marala recorded inflows of 85,900 cusecs and outflows of 69,900 cusecs.

The report showed that Tarbela Dam’s water level had risen to 1,543 feet, only seven feet below its maximum conservation level of 1,550 feet, with live storage reaching 5.178 million acre-feet (MAF). Mangla Dam’s water level stood at 1,199.35 feet, around 42 feet below its maximum conservation level of 1,242 feet, with live storage of 4.193 MAF.

Chashma Reservoir is also nearing full capacity, with its water level recorded at 648.50 feet against a maximum conservation level of 649 feet.