Another spell of flooding likely

ISLAMABAD: Another wave of flooding may hit Pakistan, this time from the eastern side as dams in India upstream of rivers Ravi and Sutlej have almost reached their maximum capacity.

The country is still in an emergency phase due to unprecedented floods in the Indus river system, and now authorities fear another threat as India may release additional water in Ravi and Sutlej.

In case of abnormal release of waters from India there are chances of flooding in the low-lying areas of Pakistan. This is alarming,” a top National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) official told The Express Tribune.

“The Indus water Treaty Clause 84 states that in the event of any flood situation in India, New Delhi is suppose to warn Pakistan within 24 hours and in worse situations at least 6 hours in advance,” the official revealed.  “So far the situation is under control. At the moment the dams have enough capacity, but just in case that exceeds, there will be trouble. Also more rain is predicted but we are keeping our fingers crossed,” confirmed NDMA commander General Nadeem Ahmad.

The authority  has stated that inhabitants close to the riverbeds may get into danger in the upcoming days. There are approximately 75,000 to 100,000 encroachers living illegally on the riverbanks of Ravi and Sutlej who would need to shift if the situation gets worse,” Ahmad added.

The NDMA official warned that more rain is expected in Sindh as well. “There is a system of monsoon being developed around 20th of September, but it’s at a preliminary stage and it’s too soon to predict its intensity or predict the area where it will hit.”

The Federal Flood Commission, which was established after the floods of 1973 and 1976, has started working on a new plan. The ‘National Comprehensive Flood Protection Plan’ will be carried forward in consultation with all relevant agencies in the backdrop of the 2010 flood crisis. “This plan will include tasks such as improving and enhancing flood warnings, flood forecasting and working towards a better protection structure,” Ahmad said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2010.