Flood vigilance heightened across KP

PESHAWAR: The respective bodies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government have heightened flood vigilance across the province as rains increased water levels in major rivers and raised the threat of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in northern districts.

According to the daily flood report issued by the Flood Cell of the Irrigation Department in the provincial metropolis, river discharge levels remained high but within normal limits across most of the rivers at various points. The Indus River, one of the major waterways streaming down the province, witnessed substantial flow of water at several locations on Wednesday.

At Jinnah Barrage, the inflow reached 261,331 cusecs while the outflow stood at 253,493 cusecs - both marked as “low” in terms of flood risk, though still considerable in volume. The Kabul River also continued to carry a significant discharge of over 34,000 cusecs near Nowshera and 32,181 cusecs at Adezai Bridge.

While all rivers and nullahs were reported to be under “normal” flow conditions, authorities remained cautious given the rising levels of smaller tributaries and water channels like Kalpani, Siran, and Budni streams.

The situation is being actively monitored through a network of flow gauges and field stations across the province, the flood cell reported.The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a GLOF Alert the other day, warning of a heightened risk of glacial outburst floods and flash floods in the districts of Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Swat and Upper Kohistan.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecasted a wet spell for the current week, with scattered rains and some heavy thunderstorms likely to impact the glaciated and mountainous regions of the province.

The PDMA advisory directed the deputy commissioners in the risky areas to undertake emergency preparedness measures, including evacuation drills, public awareness campaigns and the pre-placement of rescue personnel and emergency equipment.

The volunteers of Al-Khidmat Foundation with the support of Rescue 1122 arranged two-day rescue drills in the Kabul River and various nullahs in Peshawar to get ready for any eventuality.

Communities living in low-lying zones and tourists visiting northern districts were advised to avoid unnecessary movement, particularly near rivers, nullahs and known GLOF sites.Emergency helplines were set up and coordination with rescue services, local governments and infrastructure departments had been intensified to ensure rapid response in case of any eventuality.The PDMA’s Provincial Emergency Operation Centre (PEOC) is on alert round the clock and routine updates are disseminated through the official helpline 1700.