ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said a fresh spell of monsoon rains across the upper catchment of the country’s major rivers was expected next week, warning it could trigger flooding in streams and nullahs as the death toll from flooding and downpours since late August reached 104.
Floods in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province since late August have wreaked havoc, affecting more than 4.5 million people and inundating over 4,700 settlements, causing damage to livestock and thousands of acres of crops. Heavy monsoon rains and excess water released by Indian dams have caused rivers Ravi, Chenab and Sutlej in Punjab to swell and overflow downstream, raising the risks of catastrophic floods in southern Sindh province.
Nationwide, the death toll from rain-related incidents since Jun. 26 has reached 972, with the highest number of casualties reported from the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, 504.
“Met Office has informed that a fresh westerly wave will cause scattered thunderstorm/rain of moderate intensity over the upper catchments of all major rivers during 16th to 19th September,” the PDMA Punjab said in its weather advisory on Saturday.
The PDMA Punjab said it has directed commissioners and deputy commissioners across the province to remain on alert due to the possibility of flooding in streams and nullahs across the province during the rains.
