As water levels in Punjab’s River Sutlej receded on Friday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasted more rainfall across the country in the upcoming week.
The previous day, a rescue operation was carried out in Kasur district due to flooding from the Sutlej River, affecting 15 villages, causing power outages in four others, and damaging standing crops.
Recent heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the Sutlej and Ravi rivers in northern India has led to increased water release downstream towards Pakistan.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the floodwater in the Sutlej River decreased from a medium-level flood to a low level. The inflow and outflow of water at the Ganda Singhwala point were reported as 74,600 cusecs, while at the Head Sulemanki point, there was a low-level flood with an inflow and outflow of 58,187 cusecs.
The PDMA stated that the water flow in the Ravi, Chenab, and Jhelum rivers was normal, and their control room was actively monitoring the situation.
The PMD’s river level report mentioned that the River Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala and Sulemanki were at a low flood level, gradually receding, while other major rivers were flowing below the low flood level.
The PMD forecasted scattered wind thunderstorms and light to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy falls in the upper catchments of major rivers and various divisions across the country. Additionally, isolated wind thunderstorms and rainfall were expected in northeast Balochistan.
In the past 24 hours, the highest recorded rainfall in river catchment areas was 29 millimeters at Bahawalpur Airport point on the River Sutlej and at Faisalabad’s city point on the River Ravi.
