Ravi surge no danger, but citizens afraid

The water flow in the Ravi has surged from its pre-monsoon level of 5,000 cusecs, reaching 41,900 cusecs.


Express August 23, 2010

LAHORE: The Ravi is not in imminent danger of flooding, but settlers on the river bed have been told to move and residents of localities on the river bank are preparing for the worst.

The water flow in the Ravi has surged from its pre-monsoon level of 5,000 cusecs, reaching 41,900 cusecs at Shahdara Bridge on Sunday. But official reassurances that the water level is safe are not enough for citizens who have been bombarded with horror stories about the devastating Indus floods for the last three weeks.

“I came to see for myself how much water has come into the river,” said Mujtaba Ahmad, a resident of Farrukhabad, as he peered over the bridge at the brown waters below.

“The authorities are saying there isn’t any immediate danger but we have stored some food at home and taken precautionary measures. The situation in southern Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Kyhber-Pakhtunkhwa is before us,” Ahmad said. Asadullah, a resident of Shahdara, feared that the river might flood if upstream India released more water into it.

Rana Muhamad Iqbal, the MPA from Shahdara, said that residents of Farrukhabad and Shahdara were scared because of the Indus floods. He said settlements on the riverbed could be submerged if the water level reached 65,000 cusecs.

Settlers on the riverbed were warned by District Coordination Officer Sajjad Bhutta to move on August 16, after the water level reached 22,000 cusecs.

An official in the Flood Forecasting Division of the Met Office told The Express Tribune that the Shahdara Bridge was high enough not to be affected by up to 250,000 cusecs.

He also dismissed the idea that any Indian action might result in floods in the Ravi. According to the Indus Basin Water Treaty, he said, India must inform Pakistan beforehand if it plans to release more than 30,000 cusecs in the Ravi.

“India will inform us 24 hours before releasing water. Right now Theim Dam (an Indian dam on the Ravi) hasn’t been filled so there isn’t any danger,” the officials said.

He said the water flow at Jassarr was 13,000 cusecs, at Ravi Siphon 41,000 cusecs, at Shahdara 41,900 cusecs and at Balloki 20,000 cusecs.

Not everyone was scared by the river surge, with increased boat visitors to the Bara Dari reported.

“It’s not dangerous, but it’s perfect for boating,” said Baba Din Muhammad, whose Ravi boat rental business did particularly well on Sunday.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2010.

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