LARKANA/SUKKUR: Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro has said that his department is receiving accurate figures from Punjab and “I don’t doubt them”.

Talking to journalists at the broken T-spur at ‘sensitive’ dyke, Moria Loop Bund, near Naudero on Tuesday, he said: “It is possible that the gauges there [in Punjab] had not been properly maintained or they had fallen into floodwater. That is why we are somewhat confused about how much water will eventually arrive at Panjnad.”

The minister guessed that the actual volume of floodwater will become clear within the next two/three days. At that time, the Indus River would already be carrying between 200,000 and 250,000 cusecs. “We are preparing for a high flood, and our preparations are based on that,” he added.

He noted that ministers had been assigned duties on both, left and right, banks of the Indus. He pointed out that he himself was continuously camping at Guddu and Sukkur Barrages to monitor the situation.

Strengthening of dykes done, monitoring is continuing but river’s changing pattern always creates trouble: Shoro

He appeared sure that the dykes across Sindh would sustain the pressure of the incoming flood. He repeated his statement that the volume of floodwater entering Sindh could only be assessed once the peak flood reached Panjnand.

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He said that after the previous flood, major rehabilitation work at dykes in the province had been undertaken and his department had been keeping a close watch on the behaviour of the Indus River.

“Its ever-changing course pattern had sometimes shifted flow to the right bank and sometimes mounts pressure on left bank.

“Last time, floodwater came into the Chenab and Jhelum rivers in 2014. This time, water has entered the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers. On Aug 26, at 2pm, the water level in Chenab was at 200,000 cusecs. Thirteen hours later, at night, it rose sharply to between 900,000 and one million cusecs, he pointed out. When the deluge reached Khanki later, it increased further, and at Qadirabad it rose to 1,070,000 cusecs. From there, about 70,000 cusecs of water went toward Trimmu, where the flow rose to 550,000 cusecs by night. From 2am until the following morning, the water began receding,” he said.

This same deluge, passing through the Head Mohammad Wala Bridge in Multan, will eventually reach Panjnad. Currently, at Panjnad, there is an increase of around 150,000 cusecs, according to the minister. He noted that floodwater from Ravi was also flowing toward Panjnad. The floodwaters from Ravi was joining Chenab, downstream Trimmu, and both flows would meet at Panjnad, where the Sutlej water is already present. Then, the combined flow of these five rivers will travel some 60 kilometres downstream to Kot Mithan or Chachran, and within two days it will reach Sindh.

Jam Khan Shoro said that at Ganda Singh, according to the last strong flows reading, there was a volume of 327,000 cusecs. Below that, at Sulemanki, heavy flows were also recorded. “But the data from Ganda Singh and Sulemanki do not match with the figures at Islam. I found out that the gauge at Ganda Singh had collapsed.

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“We are very close to Panjnad, and in the next two days, it will become clear whether it will be a very high flood or a super flood,” he said.

The minister said: “The Indus River exerts pressure on sensitive points, such as Akil and Abad dykes on the right bank, and Bakhari, Korija Ja Bhan, Mad, Bhanuoth and Hajipur dykes on the left. We are reinforcing these with spurs. At present, hydrologists have instructed us to build a spur at the Moria Loop Bund, and work has begun … as the river leaves one side, it attacks the other, creating new sites. Sometimes the river shifts right, sometimes left and we respond accordingly.”

The minister also chairing a meeting with officials and engineers of Sukkur Barrage at the installation which was also attended by Irrigation Secretary Zarif Iqbal Khero and Sindh Barrage Improvement Project Director Pritam Das and Development-I Project Director Mansoor Memon, besides Chinese engineers and chief engineers of Guddu and Sukkur barrages.

The Chinese engineers and irrigation officials gave a detailed briefing on the ongoing development work at the Sukkur Barrage during the meeting, which primarily discussed the potential threat of very high flood reaching the barrages.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2025