The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a medium flood alert for the Indus River at Chashma and Kalabagh, warning that a significant rise in water levels could lead to flooding in the surrounding areas.
According to a PDMA spokesperson, water discharge at Chashma has reached 378,000 cusecs, while at Kalabagh, it is 413,000 cusecs. The rise in water flow has prompted authorities to issue alerts to the relevant districts and departments.
PDMA Director General Irfan Kathia has directed commissioners and deputy commissioners of Sargodha and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions to remain on high alert. Alerts have also been issued to the deputy commissioners of Mianwali, Bhakkar, Layyah, Kot Addu, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, and Rajanpur.
The PDMA has instructed Civil Defence, Rescue 1122, and all relevant institutions to complete precautionary measures in advance. Additionally, alerts have been sent to departments of Local Government, Agriculture, Irrigation, Health, Forests, Livestock, and Transport.
"All necessary preparations must be completed in line with the directives of the chief minister of Punjab," Kathia said. He also ordered that emergency control rooms remain staffed and fully operational, and that Rescue 1122 disaster response teams be placed on high alert.
"Fuel stocks, including petrol and diesel for rescue operations, should be available in adequate quantities," Kathia added, emphasising the importance of uninterrupted emergency response capacity.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ