ISLAMABAD: Floodwaters continue to recede in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province as major rivers return to “normal” levels, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Monday, offering a rare sign of relief after weeks of catastrophic flooding.
Heavy monsoon rains and excess water released by Indian dams had caused major rivers in Punjab to swell in late August, triggering widespread floods in the country’s breadbasket province. Nationwide, more than 1,000 people have been killed since the monsoon season began on June 26. In Punjab alone, at least 304 people were killed and over 4,700 villages inundated, with authorities evacuating more than 2.5 million people. Over 4.7 million residents have been affected by the flooding.
“The water flow in Punjab’s rivers is normal,” PDMA Punjab Director-General Irfan Ali Kathia said in a statement. “Water levels in flood-affected areas are showing a significant decline.”
Kathia said the water level at Ganda Singh Wala near the Sutlej River was recorded at 23,000 cusecs and 34,000 cusecs at Sulemanki. On the Chenab River, water levels were measured at 29,000 cusecs near Marala, 27,000 cusecs at Khanki Headworks, and 12,000 cusecs at Qadirabad. These are all barrage-like control structures that regulate flows into Punjab’s canal system.
