Monsoon rains likely to hit country from this week

Chairman NDMA reviews damages caused by ongoing floods in Sutlej River

PDMA sounds Jhelum flood alarm,

ISLAMABAD,The country will witness more monsoon rains with occasional gaps from August 23 to 27, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Monday.

The Met Office said that moderate monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea are likely to penetrate the upper parts of the country from the evening and/or night of August 22.

Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik on Monday reviewed the situation of damages caused by the ongoing floods in Sutlej River, the situation of major Dams, and the regulation of river flows during the ongoing monsoon spell. The NDMA Chairman presided special National Emergencies Operations Centre (NEOC) session with key stakeholders on the current flood and monsoon situation, a news release said.

The session was attended by representatives of Armed Forces, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Federal Flood Commission (FFC), Provincial, State, and Gilgit Baltistan Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs, SDMA, GBDMA), Flood Forecasting Division (FFD), Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Commission (SUPARCO), Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters (PCIW), Rescue 1122 Punjab, Tarbela and Mangla Dam Management. The PMD briefed about the previous days’ rainfall observed in the country. They also apprised about the expected rainfall in the North Eastern parts of the country from August 23 to 25.

The PDMA Punjab and Rescue 1122 Punjab briefed about the evacuation, rescue, and relief efforts conducted along the Sutlej River. The FFD reported that Sulemanki headworks would attain a very high flood level by 22 August and a peak in the flow of River Jehlum will be observed from 23 to 25 August which will affect the Mangla dam levels.

The Mangla and Tarbela Dam management briefed that the water level in dams and contingency measures are in place. The PCIW briefed about the mechanism in place for information sharing between Pakistan and Indian dam management. The Chairman NDMA instructed relevant departments to carry out flood damage assessment and gather accurate data.

He also instructed PDMAs, GBDMA, and SDMA to increase awareness among the masses about the remedial measures to be taken during the season and to monitor the changing situation vigilantly. He reiterated that the settlements and encroachments in river beds of all major rivers must be cleared by all concerned to minimize the damages.

While,

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Monday sounded the flood alarm and alerted the Faisalabad commissioner about a low to medium-level flood in River Jhelum,

The PDMA wrote a letter to the Faisalabad Commissioner, stating low to medium flood is lurking over the River Jhelum on the 23^rd, 24^th and 25^th of August.

It warned that all the settlements and other temporary objects should be moved from the bank of the river and the breaching points should be made functional. The letter also demanded that the staff should be on duty the whole day and that the rescue organizations should also be notified.

All arrangements should be made to meet any emergency. An effective strategy should be developed for communication between line departments and generators should be arranged at dewatering sets and pumping stations, stated the letter from PDMA.