ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Wednesday warned of dangerous flooding along the Chenab River, with rising waters threatening riverside settlements in Gujrat and Sialkot after India warned Pakistan of possible cross-border flooding a day earlier.
Pakistan’s eastern region of Punjab has been facing a flood emergency, with at least 41 people killed and more than 2.4 million affected over the last 10 days, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
Nationwide, rains, floods, landslides and similar incidents have killed 881 people since June 26, reviving memories of the catastrophic 2022 deluges when a third of Pakistan was submerged, more than 1,700 people were killed, 30 million displaced and damages topped $35 billion.
“Around 384,000 cusecs of water is currently flowing at Marala Headworks on the Chenab, and levels are rising,” the PDMA said in a statement, adding that Khanki was recording nearly 298,000 cusecs and Qadirabad over 213,000 cusecs.
Water levels have also been rising along the Ravi, where Sidhnai Headworks reached 193,000 cusecs and authorities deliberately breached the Mai Safoora embankment to divert pressure away from urban centers.
