HYDERABAD:
With Punjab reeling from a severe flood emergency, Sindh is now preparing for a massive surge of water that is expected to put hundreds of thousands of riverbed residents at risk. Authorities, however, maintain that people in the settled mainland areas are unlikely to face any immediate danger.
Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, flanked by provincial minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, addressed a press conference in Sukkur on Thursday. He confirmed that the irrigation department and district administrations had been placed on high alert to respond to the looming crisis.
“Undoubtedly, the riverine belt in Sindh will be impacted. We have already witnessed how suddenly water levels surged in Punjab’s rivers, and similar conditions could follow here,” Shoro cautioned.
According to earlier government assessments, nearly 414,000 people live in vulnerable villages along the riverbed. While no fresh data has been released, officials fear that the actual number may be even higher today.
The minister noted that Punjab had recently recorded a dramatic rise of 700,000 cusecs within just 13 hours. He did not, however, disclose the estimated volume of water expected to flow into Sindh’s Guddu Barrage.
Floodwaters from the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers are projected to merge at Chahran Sharif, some 60 kilometres downstream of Panjnad, before crossing into Sindh. Only once the torrents converge at Panjnad, Shoro explained, will the authorities be able to determine the precise flow headed toward Sindh. The deluge is forecast to reach Guddu between September 2 and 3.
The irrigation department has intensified monitoring of river readings across the province. Officials say that warnings will be issued to riverine communities at least two days before the high flow reaches Guddu. However, they admitted that many residents traditionally refuse to evacuate, relying instead on their own judgment rather than government alerts.
