Progress in Punjab as floodwaters recede, with normalcy resuming amidst ongoing monsoon rains
Pakistan's eastern Punjab province is gradually returning to normalcy after heavy floods this month. The provincial administration remains on alert, as per the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), due to the monsoon's 11th spell that is expected to continue until Sept. 19.
Since the onset of the monsoon season on June 26, Punjab has reported 296 deaths out of a nationwide toll of 998. The floods in Punjab were caused by heavy rains and excess water released from Indian dams, inundating more than 4,700 villages, destroying crops, homes, and forcing millions to flee. However, no new deaths have been reported in Punjab since the previous news update.
The flood situation in Punjab is improving, with the flow of water in the province's rivers returning to normal, as reported by the PDMA. The Indus, Jhelum, and Ravi rivers are at normal levels, but there is a medium-level flood in the Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala and a low-level flood at Sulemanki and Islam headworks. No new information regarding the current water levels in these areas has been provided.
Elsewhere in the country, other provinces continue to battle the effects of the monsoon season. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 504 deaths, Sindh 80 deaths, Gilgit-Baltistan 41 deaths, Azad Kashmir 38 deaths, Balochistan 30 deaths, and Islamabad 9 deaths.
The flood discharge report at 6 a.m. on Wednesday shows most key river sites, including Tarbela, Kalabagh, Chashma, Taunsa on the Indus, Mangla and Rasul on the Jhelum, and all major Chenab stations, at normal levels. Hill torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan have normalized, but no new information regarding the normalization of hill torrents in other regions has been provided.
The PDMA has warned that flash floods could occur in streams around Rawalpindi, Murree, and Galiyat on Sept. 18 and 19. The authority has also reported that Panjnad currently carries 194,000 cusecs of water with a low-level flood. No new information regarding the number of villages inundated, crops destroyed, or homes ruined has been provided.
The number of deaths due to monsoon-related floods in various provinces of Pakistan has reached approximately 972 to 1,000 victims by mid-September, with official reports confirming at least 928 to 972 deaths and more than a million people affected or evacuated in different regions. The nation continues to grapple with the aftermath of the monsoon season, with the PDMA urging citizens to remain vigilant and follow safety guidelines during the ongoing monsoon spell.
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