• Officials having to rely on ‘less credible sources’ in the absence of river flow information from India• Action to clear Ravi riverbed of ‘temporary encroachments’ on the cards
LAHORE: The Punjab government has asked the irrigation department to prepare for flooding under the ‘high-alert category’, amid prevailing uncertainty about river flows due to India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
A source privy to a meeting chaired by Lahore Commissioner Nauman Yousaf told Dawn that the irrigation department was making arrangements keeping in view the information being shared on social media or through other means, which were insufficient to make accurate assessments.
“In a recent meeting related to the flood situation and arrangements, a senior official of the irrigation department revealed that India continued to avoid sharing data since it had put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance in April last year,” the source said.
In light of this information, the commissioner directed the irrigation department to take extra precautionary measures. “If they (India) are not giving information (related to river flows, flood situation etc), then we must be very vigilant. So if the flood situation is normal, you must make arrangements required for medium floods and if the situation is medium, then go for arrangements that are required under the high-flood category,” the official quoted the commissioner as directing the irrigation officers.
