Dozens of villages cut off due to flooding
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LAHORE: Heavy rain was reported from some cities in Punjab, including Rawalpindi, on Saturday and the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast that the monsoon activity would continue in the province and Azad Kashmir over the next 24 hours.
The Federal Flood Commission said River Chenab was in low flood in the Khanki-Qadirabad reach, whereas River Kabul was in medium flood in the Warsak-Nowshera reach. River Swat was also in low flood at Charsadda Road Bridge. Rivers Indus, Jhelum, Ravi and Sutlej were flowing normally.
Also read: Chenab, Kabul, Swat rivers in low to medium flood
Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs were at elevations of 1511.00 ft and 1230.60 ft, respectively, which were 39.00 ft and 11.40 ft below their respective maximum conservation levels of 1550.00 ft and 1242.00 ft.
Our Sialkot correspondent Abid Mehdi reported inundation of 15 villages in Pasrur and 17 in Zafarwal tehsils due to the flood in Nullah Dek.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, heavy rain in Rawalpindi and Islamabad in the morning flooded Nullah Lai, which as a result attained the gauge level of 15.12 ft (pre-alert level) at Kattarian Bridge and 15.45 ft (alert level) at Gawalmandi Bridge. The level, however, was below the danger point of 20 ft.
The flow in the nullah returned to normal in the afternoon. But there were chances of light to moderate rain in its catchment in the next few hours.
The Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) recorded heaviest rain in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Golra received 78mm, Bokra 71mm, Zero Point 43mm, Saidpur 24mm, Chaklala 60mm and Shamsabad 43mm.
The FFD said Bahawalnagar received 63mm of rain, Bahawalpur city 49mm, Noorpurthal 39mm, Bahawalpur airport and Sahiwal 37mm, Murree 30mm, Dir 19mm, Okara 18mm, Kot Addu 17mm, Garhiduppata and Hunza 15mm, Mangla 12mm, Joharabad 11mm, Chakwal and Skardu 10mm, Jhang, Astore and Peshawar city 8mm, Malamjabba 7mm, Khanpur and Sibi 5m and Sargodha, Multan, Faisalabad, Abbottabad, Bannu, Muzaffarabad and Saidu Sharif 4mm.
The FFD said monsoon currents were penetrating into central and upper parts of the country and the incursion was likely to continue during the next 24 hours. The trough of westerly wave over northern parts of the country lay over Kashmir and adjoining areas and was likely to pass over to China by Sunday night.
Therefore widespread rain-thundershower was expected in Islamabad, Punjab, Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while at scattered places in Sibi, Zhob, Quetta, Kalat, Nasirabad, Sukkur and Larkana divisions and Gilgit-Baltistan in the next 24 hours. Scattered heavy falls were also expected in Kashmir, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore and Hazara divisions on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
The FFD spotted a well-marked monsoon low over northern Madhya Pradesh (India) and said it was being closely monitored.
Our Sialkot correspondent reported that 15 villages of Pasrur tehsil in Sialkot and 17 villages in the adjacent Zafarwal tehsil inundated for the second consecutive day due to the spate in the Nullah Dek. A peak of 33,000 cusecs crossed the nullah. Spillovers inundated hundreds of acres of agriculture land in these villages.
Six villages, including Chahoor, Jabbokey, Nawaadhey and Seehowal, in Pasrur tehsil were still cut off from the Sialkot district as the local link roads were badly damaged during Friday’s flood in the nullah.
In Shakargarh, local administration was unable to repair the 30ft breach in the bank of Nullah Baein, which occurred near village Sangraan-Shakargarh during Friday’s flooding. The 15 affected villages were still cut off from Sialkot as the main Sakho Chak-Shakargarh Road was washed away about 100ft.
Rescue 1122 saved three local shepherds from drowning in Nullah Baein.
According to Malik Abid Awan, the focal person of the Sialkot Flood Control, the water level receded in River Tavi and in the inundated Chaprar villages, including Saalehpur, Patwal, Suhailpura, Resmaan, Bara Dari, Beli and Jhumiyaan Dalaalaan.
A peak of 5,820 cusecs was crossing River Jammu Tavi and 1,547 cusecs River Munawwar Tavi, near Chaprar.
Meanwhile, it remained cloudy to partly cloudy in Lahore. The maximum temperature was 33 degrees Celsius and the minimum 23 degrees with 64 per cent humidity in the evening. Weather was pleasant in the night and there were chances of rain in the city.
Provincial Home Minister Shuja Khanzada announced Rs500,000 each for the heirs of those drowned in Narowal on Friday.
Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2015
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