ISLAMABAD
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Monday issued an advisory highlighting that monsoon currents from Bay of Bangal are likely to penetrate central and southern parts of the country from July 27th and likely to remain till August 3rd whereas under its influence heavy to hefty rainfall is expected in upper catchment areas of western and eastern rivers of country from July 28th to August 4th.
“Flash flooding is expected in Northeastern parts of Punjab including Deg, Basemter and Bein nullahs of River Ravi, Aik & Palku areas in catchment of Chenab as well as Neelum Valley, Muzafarabad, Rawalkot, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber of AJ&K while Mardan, Swat, Dir, Kohistan, Shangla and Malakand of Upper KP province,” the NDMA said.
Low to Medium level flow is expected in rivers Jhelum Upstream of Mangla, Kabul, and its tributaries, Chenab at Marala, Khanki, and Qadirabad*. Low to medium-level flows are expected in the River Indus at Tarbela and hill torrents of DG Khan division, and increased flows are expected in the Nullahs of Zhob.
Urban flooding is expected in Northern & Northeastern parts of Punjab i.e Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Gujrat, Rawalpindi/Islamabad, and surrounding areas while southern parts of Sindh including Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Sanghar, S. Benazirabad, and Karachi* also face urban flooding during forecasted period.
NDMA has issued instructions to all relevant departments to take necessary precautions to mitigate the possible effects of flooding and extreme weather. Flash floods can strike suddenly, catching people off guard. Population at risk is advised to avoid flood waters and find a safe location away from flood-prone areas. Even a mere six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet, and just one foot of moving water can sweep away a vehicle. Bridges can be hazardous during floods.
Avoid crossing them if water is flowing rapidly.Avoid staying in weak structures. In case of intense rain, seek shelter in safe places such as schools, government buildings, or any concrete buildings. NDMA has launched the Pak NDMA Disaster Alert application, available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store, to provide timely alerts, advisories, and guidelines to the public.
Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board has put its filed personnel on high alert after the city has witnessed intense rain with gusty winds on Monday. Since the MET Office has predicted more rain during the current monsoon spell in Punjab province, the RCB’s filed teams have been tasked to be vigilantly prepared to respond with full magnitude.
Rawalpindi Cantonment Board’s CEO Syed Ali Irfan Rizvi had issued instructions to all the officers to stay in the field in this regard. The CEO said that staffers deployed for drainage in low-lying areas were engaged in draining water.Arrangements are complete in view of any flooding situation, he said.
The spokesman RCB, Rasheed Saqib informed that both the Additional CEOs were present in the field and monitoring the developing situations in low lying areas and the nullahs. Drainage is being ensured by the personnel under the supervision of the Chief Public Health Officer, he said.
Additional CEO Umair Mehboob visited different areas of the Cantt early in the morning and reviewed the entire situation.
