Heavy rains may cause severe flooding in lower Sindh

The met dept advises irrigation dept to reduce the water flow in canals.

KARACHI:

While Badin continues to bear the impact of damage caused by heavy rain, Sindh has to brace itself for the possibility of more floods in the week ahead.

The meteorological department  has said that widespread rains and thunderstorms are expected from Wednesday to Saturday in most parts of Sindh, including Karachi. According to the department, this can cause severe flooding in the province, particularly in lower Sindh.

It has advised Sindh’s irrigation department to reduce the water flow in canals next week and monitor the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) to avoid possible breaches. Overflows and breaches in the LBOD caused havoc during the recent rain in six districts of Sindh including Badin, Tharparkar and Mirpurkhas.

Monsoon currents are continuously penetrating the upper parts of the country and causing scattered rainfall.

Chief meteorologist Naeem Shah said that weather conditions indicate that a strong weather system is developing over central parts of India which can cause widespread heavy rainfall in Pakistan in the week ahead. Heavy rainfall may generate severe flooding in lower Sindh, and flash flooding in the local rivers and nullahs of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and eastern parts of Balochistan.

Provincial Disaster Management Authority operation director Syed Sajjad Hyder Shah told The Express Tribune that they had already formed a contingency plan and shared it with all the districts. “It will be a three-day spell and the situation can get intense,” said Shah. “We have asked all DCOs to arrange for rations, medicines, tents and other equipment.” He said that the embankments of LBOD are sensitive at different locations and breaches were caused during the recent rains. “We have asked officials to monitor the sensitive points of the LBOD to prevent any kind of disaster.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2011.