PAKISTAN-FLOOD PREPS

Headline

Pakistani province put on red alert for possible floods.

Intro

Punjab government decides to put the province on red alert for possible floods in coming days in case it receives more rains or India releases more water into the rivers Ravi and Sutlej.

Story

STORY: The government in Pakistan’s central Punjab province on Wednesday (July 26) decided to put the province on red alert for possible floods in coming days in case it receives more rains or India releases more water into the rivers Ravi and Sutlej, a minister said.

Provincial information minister Amir Mir said that Punjab Chief Minister Syed Moshin Raza Naqvi held an emergent meeting of the administrative and other officials and directed them to remain vigilant given the flood threat in the province.

“Today, an emergent meeting of the caretaker cabinet was held with chief minister Mohsin Naqvi in chair. The meeting reviewed the flood situation and briefed the chief minister about it. The chief minister was apprised that the water levels have reached upto dangerous levels after rains at the catchment areas. The decision was made to issue a red alert across the province,”minister Amir Mir told reporters in Lahore.

He said the dam constructed by India on Ravi had reached 90 percent of its water capacity and India could release more water towards Pakistan if it received more rains.

“There were very heavy downpours, even upto 600 mm rains in India that has inundated Delhi. If it receives more rains of 600-millimeter across our border, it is feared that our Shahdra area in Lahore can be submerged like in 1988,”Mir said.

He said the chief minister has ordered the irrigation department, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Rescue 1122 and the administration to remain alert with regard to the latest flood situation and release of water by India.

Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 conducted a drill at the Ravi river that flows by Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.

Last year, deadliest floods killed over 1,700 people and caused ₨ 3.2 trillion ($14.9 billion) of damage and ₨ 3.3 trillion ($15.2 billion) of economic losses to Pakistan.

The immediate causes of the floods were heavier than usual monsoon rains and melting glaciers that followed a severe heat wave, both of which are linked to climate change.