Gilgit River above danger level

* Water entering Chitral, adjacent villages
* More floods in Charsadda, Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera in 24 hours
* Chenab River rising at alarming rate

GILGIT: Gilgit River on Monday washed away the road linking Shamshan Valley to the rest of the country, badly damaging crops and orchards.

Gushing floodwater damaged a 500-foot section of Riverview Road in Shamshan Valley in the city. More floods are expected since Gilgit River is flowing three feet above the danger level, breaking a 50-year high flood record. More floods are expected to hit low-lying areas in Gilgit, since Gilgit River’s water level is steadily rising.

Crops in Jhamoobar Colony and Basen Khari have been badly damaged. Gilgit-Chitral Highway has also been closed due to river erosion and floodwater inundation.

The district administration has evacuated houses and has started relief operations in the affected areas. The rising water level has also threatened several bridges in the area.

Floodwater is also entering Chitral and adjacent villages and Charsadda, Peshawar, Mardan and Nowshera are likely to experience more floodwater in the next 24 hours.

The NWFP government has put the Civil Defence and armed forces on alert for possible relief operations.

Meanwhile, government departments have been put on alert due to possible floods in Dera Ismail Khan because Kabul and Swat Rivers are at high flood. Floodwater has also submerged many villages in Dera Ismail Khan, destroying crops.

Meanwhile, water in Chenab River has started rising and the river is reportedly at medium flood near Chiniot. Reports coming from the area suggest floodwater has inundated crops in low-lying areas in Chiniot.

Officials from Chiniot, Shorkot, Jhang and Ahmadpur Sial gathered at Jhang District Coordination Officer Arif Khan’s office on Monday and planned possible relief operations in case of flooding in the district.

The meeting decided to divide Chiniot into seven sectors – Langar Makhdoom, Chenabnagar, Laliyan, Chiniot, Harsa Sheikh, Barana and Bhawana.

About 32 villages have been hit by floodwater in in Langar Makhdoom, 18 in Chenabnagar, three in Laliyan, nine in Chiniot, 21 in Harsa Sheikh, 15 in Barana and 30 in Bhawana.

Also, Syed Jamaat Ali Shah, the Indus Water commissioner, said on Monday that it would take at least three days for additional Sutlej water to reach Pakistan if India opened the spillways of Bhakra Dam built on the river due to possible flood.

According to an official statement, the commissioner said Pakistan was closely monitoring the “flood-like situation” arising from an artificial lake in Himachal Pradesh bursting its banks.

He said the floodwater was heading towards Bhakra Dam built on Sutlej River. However, Indian officials ruled out any possibility of it spilling over.

He said that even if India released additional Sutlej waters from Bhakra Dam, it would take at least three days for the floodwater to enter Pakistan through Ganda Singh border in Kasur district. agencies

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