ISLAMABAD: River flows across Pakistan’s Punjab province remained normal on Tuesday despite rising water levels following a recent spell of monsoon rains, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said, ruling out any immediate threat of flooding.
The update came as Pakistan continues to recover from weeks of torrential rains and riverine floods that inundated large parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, damaging homes, infrastructure and farmland. The monsoon season, which began in late July, has claimed at least 1,037 lives in incidents including roof collapses, landslides and flash floods.
Punjab, the country’s agricultural heartland, experienced one of its worst floods in years after neighboring India released excess water into three major rivers, affecting millions of people across the province.
“River flows in Punjab are currently normal,” said PDMA Punjab Director General Irfan Ali Kathia in a statement. “While rainfall has led to an increase in water levels, there is no risk of flooding at this stage.”
According to the PDMA, the flow in the Ravi River was recorded at 23,000 cusecs at Jassar, 22,000 cusecs at Shahdara, 55,000 cusecs at Balloki and 45,000 cusecs at Sidhnai.
