Daily Times

The province of Balochistan is facing a dire flood situation due to relentless monsoon rains, leading to the closure of the Bolan National Highway and isolating the region from other provinces of the country.

Flash floods triggered by torrential rains have badly disrupted the road link of the Balochistan with Sindh province, coercing the provincial government to release immediate flood relief funds and set up a control room.

Due to heavy downpour Sibi-Quetta section on the Sukkur-Quetta N-65 Highway was blocked, cutting off Balochistan’s link to Sindh, Provincial Disaster Management Authority told media adding that highways connecting Harnai to Sanjawi, Gandhawa to Notal, Sibi to Kohlu, Pinjra Bridge road in Bolan were also blocked.

It may be mentioned here that Pinjra Bridge on the River Bolan in Kachhi district is the main point where road traffic is struck.

As many as 10 people have lost their lives and 13 suffered injuries in rain-and-flood-related incidents in Balochistan since June 19, PDMA data shared with media read, while a total of 112 houses have been completely and 223 partially damaged.

Responding to the emergency situation, the provincial government has released Rs 150 million flood relief funds to the district administration of all 36 districts of the province. Moreover, on the directives of the CM Balochistan, a control room has also set up to monitor the relief activities.

Home and Tribal Affairs Minister, Zia Lango said, “Efforts are afoot to provide relief to the catastrophe-hit masses of the province.”

Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs) in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have issued alerts to all relevant departments in anticipation of heavy rains forecast.

In separate statements, the authorities have urged citizens to exercise special precautions during the anticipated heavy rains.

The expected heavy rainfall may lead to urban flooding in different areas of Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Dera Ismail Khan, and also pose a risk of landslides in hilly regions.

Tourists visiting the region are also advised to take necessary precautionary measures and exercise extra caution during this period of forecasted heavy rains.

In the event of an emergency, people are encouraged to contact the control room through the helpline number 1700 for prompt assistance.

As the provinces brace for potential challenges posed by the heavy rains, citizens are urged to remain vigilant, adhere to safety guidelines, and cooperate with the authorities to ensure their safety and the well-being of their communities.

The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has said that flood peaks, presently propagating in the Indus River System, may become violent due to contribution of likely torrential flash flooding.

According to daily FFC report on Friday, due to combining effect of downstream discharges from Taunsa and Panjnad, River Indus at Guddu and Sukkur may attain high flood level on 30th July and 31st July 2023 respectively. Presently, River Indus is experiencing Medium Flood in Taunsa-Guddu reach whereas it is in Low Flood situation at four locations (Tarbela-Kalabagh-Chashma & Sukkur). River Sutlej at Head Suleimanki is also flowing in Medium Flood. River Chenab at Marala, Ravi in Balloki-Sidhnai Reach and Kabul at Nowshera, are presently flowing in Low Flood while River Jhelum is discharging Normal flows.

Owing to climate change, localized rainfall extremes causing urban flooding have also become recurrent as experienced during the ongoing monsoon season.

While major reservoirs in the country (Tarbela & Mangla) are approaching fast their maximum storage levels, PMD has forecasted more rains in the upper catchments of major rivers, as well as in the hill torrents regions of the country during the next 24 hours.

Tarbela Reservoir has attained water level of 1532.68 feet i.e. 17.32 feet below against its Maximum Conservation Level (MCL) of 1550 feet whereas Mangla Reservoir is at an elevation of 1223.65 feet (18.36 feet below its MCL: 1242.00 feet). Yesterday’s Well-Marked Low-Pressure Area over South Orissa (India) moved towards North and weakened into Low; it is likely to move away Northeast wards and become insignificant for the country.

Weak Seasonal Low today prevails over North-West of Balochistan. Light to moderate moist currents from Bay of Bengal & Arabian Sea are penetrating into upper parts of the country upto 5,000 feet. Trough of Westerly Wave earlier over Northeastern Afghanistan today lies over Northern parts of the country. Scattered to Widespread Wind Thunderstorm/ Rain of Moderate Intensity with Isolated Heavy Falls is expected over the upper catchment of Rivers Kabul and Indus alongwith Lahore & Gujranwala Divisions (lower part of upper catchment) during the next 24 hours. Scattered Wind Thunderstorm/Rain of Moderate Intensity are expected over upper catchments of Rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi & Sutlej alongwith Islamabad and Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, D.I. Khan, Rawalpindi, Multan, D.G. Khan, Zhob, Loralai, Kalat, Sibbi, Makran & Nasirabad Divisions.