Rescue teams are on red alert in Pakistan after India released about 185,000 cusecs of water from the Ujh Barrage into the River Ravi, triggering a flood-like situation and landslides in several parts of the country.
Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has also issued a warning of upcoming heavy rainfall within the next 24 to 48 hours, potentially leading to an increase in the water levels of the Ravi River.
Approximately 65,000 cusecs of water is expected to reach Pakistan within the next 20-24 hours, which would cause a low flood condition in the Ravi River in Jassar town in Pakistan's Punjab province, the authorities said.
Last year, India released 173,000 cusecs of water, causing low-level floods in Jassar, the NDMA said.
Preventive Measures
Relief camps are being established and residents of low-lying areas in all districts of Punjab province are being evacuated by the local authorities and NDMA.
“Monitoring is also underway at the Chenab River and Marala Headworks”, the NDMA official said.
According to Pakistani media, Punjab’s caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has assured that the government's topmost priority during the floods is to protect human lives. For this reason, residents living near river banks are being evacuated.
Pakistan's Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman has said that the rain would affect at least 900,000 people in the country.
Over the weekend, India’s northern states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and the union territory of Delhi saw massive rainfall, causing massive water-logging and floods killing around 24 people.