ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to accelerate rescue efforts in Punjab districts affected by flooding along the Sutlej River.
He instructed the NDMA chairman to immediately evacuate residents trapped in flood-hit areas and relocate them to secure shelter.
The Prime Minister emphasized the need for protective measures and intensified monitoring, particularly around Ganda Singh Wala on the Sutlej.
Moreover, he called for the timely provision of essential supplies, including food, medicines, and tents, while ensuring close coordination between the NDMA and Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
High-flood alert issued for Ravi, Sutlej & Chenab
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Tuesday issued a high-flood alert for the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab rivers after India released additional water into the tributaries.
Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority Punjab (PDMA), Irfan Ali Kathia, has said the water level in the rivers of Punjab is continuously rising.
A statement from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that the River Ravi at Jassar is already in High Flood Level, and the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has detected heavy to very heavy rainfall in the upper catchments of the Ravi during the last 12 hours.
“The water combined with the downstream flows from the Madhupur Headworks (subject to releases) in India is expected to result in ‘very high to exceptionally high flood levels’ at Jassar, Shahdara, and Balloki during the next 48 hours,” NDMA said in an earlier advisory.
The PDMA said India had opened all gates of the Thein Dam on the Ravi, and 210,000 cusecs of water is entering Pakistan from Kot Ninan. In the next 24 hours, the water flow will increase further.
