July 01, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1428

LAHORE, June 30: The monsoon depression that developed over India moved on Saturday towards Sindh and Punjab, generating widespread rains in the two provinces over four to five days, according to the National Flood Forecasting Division. It said that the rains might be accompanied by high-velocity winds.

A special warning issued by the division said that the intense system could cause flooding in major cities, and flash floods in nullahs, causing road blockages, collapse of mud-houses, washing away katcha roads, flooding of low-lying areas, uprooting of trees and billboards.

It said that the river Chenab’s discharge level might peak during ensuing rains. Most districts in Punjab along the Indian border and also in Sindh, including Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Miti, Umarkot and Sanghar, were likely to be affected.

Rainstorm could also affect Karachi and other areas along the coasts of Sindh and Balochistan.

Talking to Dawn, NFFD’s Chief Shaukat Awan said the storm’s main thrust was towards Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab, affecting Thar and Cholistan deserts and Punjab cities like Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan, adding that it might also affect Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas.

He said the monsoon deep depression had reached central India on Saturday but it had already started giving rain in Karachi.

Meteorologists said that there was the westerly system over north of Kashmir and the other one would reach Pakistan in a day or two, accentuating the fury of the depression.

Meanwhile, the NFFD reported that the river Indus was in low flood at Tarbela. Its tributaries in the NWFP were still in high to extremely high flood.