JHANG (Kashmir English): In a strategic move to safeguard Jhang city from rising flood water, the authorities have deliberately breached an embankment near the Rivaz Bridge here on Friday, redirecting the Chenab river towards Chiniot.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the embankment located along the railway lines in front of Kot Muhammad Yar had been deliberately ruptured as the Chenab River’s water levels climbed to extremely high levels.
The controlled explosion is meant to lower pressure on the Rivaz Bridge and divert water flow away from Jhang.
As Punjab is deluged with the Chenab River, the NDMA has warned that the Ganda Singh Wala barrage on the Sutlej River is experiencing “unprecedented flood levels”, registering water flow of over 350,000 cusecs and rising.
“The flow may increase further due to rain and potential floodwater releases from India,” the authority said in a post on X.
Moreover, India has released more water from its dams into the Jhelum River, which flows from Indian occupied Kashmir into Azad Kashmir and later enters Punjab from Jhelum district.
In a statement, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) said that the torrent released by India entered AJK at the Chakothi point along the Line of Control (LoC).
Following the Indian move, water flow in the Jhelum River increased in Muzaffarabad, read the statement.
