Punjab braces for flash floods

Widespread heavy rain expected in Gujranwala, Sialkot, Multan and Bahawalpur

LAHORE:

The weather has turned pleasant in several areas of Punjab owing to monsoon rains but Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned the administration to remain alert as heavy rainfall may generate urban or flash flooding.

The latest weather report issued by the department warns that heavy rains may cause urban flooding in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, Mandi Bahauddin, Multan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan, Vehari, Sahiwal, Khanewal and several cities of Sindh.

It also indicates the possibility of flash flooding in local streams and hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan and Balochistan. The synoptic situation shows that strong monsoon currents are penetrating most parts of the country.

Widespread heavy rain is expected in South Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and lower Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Scattered rain, wind and thundershower are likely in upper Punjab, upper K-P, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan on Friday. Rain with wind and thundershower with isolated heavy falls occurred during the past 24 hours in Punjab, and most other parts of the country.

The department recorded 135mm of rainfall in Gujranwala, 128mm in Mangla, 114mm in Hafizabad, 76mm in Attock, 75mm in Bahawalnagar, 65mm in Kasur and 60mm in Chakwal,

In the provincial capital, at least 115mm of rainfall was recorded at Tajpura, 108mm at Paniwala Talab, 106mm at Lakshmi Chowk, 93mm at Gulshan Ravi, 92mm at Chowk Nakhuda, 88mm at Nishter Town, 83mm at Mughalpura, 82mm at Upper Mall, 79mm at Johar Town, 65mm at Samanabad, 61mm at WASA head office, 59mm at the airport and 45mm at Iqbal Town.

Meanwhile, 45mm of rainfall was recorded at Sialkot Airport and 33mm in the city, 42mm each in Jhelum and Gujrat, and 36mm in Mandi Bahauddin and Sargodha. In Rawalpindi, 31mm of rainfall was measured at Shamsabad and 20mm at Chaklala. Similarly, 28mm of rainfall was recorded at Bahawalpur airport and 19mm in the city.

The report highlights that 20mm of rainfall was recorded in Murree, 18mm in Narowal, 12mm in Joharabad, 4mm in Khanewal and Okara, 2mm in Toba Tek Singh and Dera Ghazi Khan, and 1mm in Sahiwal.

The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued instructions to all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to remain alert in the monsoon season.

It said effective measures should be taken to deal with flooding, adding that storm drains, drainage system and water channels should be monitored round the clock.

All agencies should coordinate with each other and ensure immediate implementation of the plan of action for urban flooding, the PDMA added. The provincial chief secretary also said that immediate steps should be taken to deal with urban flooding in low lying areas of various cities due to rains.

Instructions have also been issued to the district administrations and Rescue 1122 officials to keep all the necessary machinery functional to deal with urban flooding.

PDMA Director General Faisal Farid underlined that there is no danger of major floods in any river of Punjab but possible danger of urban flooding in different districts due to heavy rains.

The commissioners, deputy commissioners and Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) officials have been instructed to ensure timely cleaning of drains, start drainage operations immediately after rains and ensure monitoring of the work.

According to the government standard operating procedures (SOPs), instructions have also been issued to the agencies concerned of all districts to set up rain camps. Relief camps will be set up in the flood prone areas. Medicines and equipment along with other essential items have been shifted to the affected areas and people have been shifted to safe places.

The PDMA director general said some villages in the Makarwal area have been inundated due to flooding in Baroch Nala entering Punjab from Pakhtunkhwa.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2022.