The Ravi River Flood reached a dangerous level after India released extra water, prompting a joint rescue effort by the Punjab Rangers and Rescue 1122 teams to free stranded residents of Tehsil Shakargarh.
At least 223 individuals, mostly women and children, were saved, and the Punjab Rangers rescue team is still on duty in the border region in case anything unexpected happens.
Floodwaters from India have also damaged fields in Shakargarh’s border village of Jalala. People working in growing rice were trapped while their fields were swamped.
On Sunday, Pakistan’s eastern border flowed at least 185,000 cubic metres of water into the Ravi River. As a result, extra water from India arrived in Kartarpur Jassar via Naina Kot and is projected to arrive in Lahore via Shahdara during the next 48 hours. Meanwhile, the River Ravi, Nullah Baeen, and other banks are flooded.
According to officials, the administration is on high alert in the regions bordering the rivers Ravi and Chenab, and relief camps have been established in several districts in response to the floods.
According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), there is moderate flooding in Chenab at Marala, Shakargarh, and Nullah Baeen, as well as low-level flooding in Khanki and Kadirabad, and the flow of water in other rivers, including the Ravi, is normal.
Water flow in all rivers, barrages, dams, and canals is constantly monitored. Meanwhile, the control room is keeping an eye on the entire scenario in Punjab.
On Sunday, Punjab interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated that there is no flooding in the province. He went on to say that India had released the same amount of water in Ravi last year, which was 31,000 cusecs when it arrived in Lahore.
When asked about flood preparations in Dera Ghazi Khan, the chief minister stated that they are complete. However, he stressed that villages should not have been erected inside the river and that persons who have established on government grounds will be relocated.
NDMA warning
According to the latest flow statistics from Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters (PCIW) and Flood Forecasting Division (FFD), Akhnoor is experiencing heavy flows, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.
However, in the following 12 hours, flows in Marala will rise from medium to high levels, according to the forecast.
According to NDMA, Marala has a maximum level capacity of 1,100,000 cusecs, with a current level of 170,000 cusecs. Water levels are predicted to rise by 250,000 cusecs.
