LAHORE: The Indus is likely to be in high or very high flood at Guddu from Saturday onwards and the situation will continue for about a week, according to the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD).
It said on Friday that the Indus would have a flow ranging between 650,000 and 750,000 cusecs (denoting high to very high flood) at Sukkur from Sunday to Tuesday and the situation would persist for about seven days.
This was likely to be the highest flow (peak) to be recorded at the two points during the current monsoon season, the FFD said.
The Federal Flood Commission warned that low-lying areas along the Indus in Punjab (parts of Multan and districts Bhakkar, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rahimyar Khan) and Sindh (Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Khairpur and Larkana districts) were likely to be affected adversely.
It advised the authorities concerned to take precautionary measures to avoid loss of life and minimise damage to private and public property.
It urged the irrigation officials in the two provinces to ensure round-the-clock patrolling of flood embankments and make necessary arrangements for dealing with floodwaters at vulnerable points.
In its forecast, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said more rain was expected across the country during the first fortnight of August, resulting in high river flow.
It said that the monsoon system was likely to remain active in the first week of August, producing widespread rain of moderate to heavy intensity, with one or two extreme events over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, upper Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
The extreme rainfall might generate urban and flash floods in these areas.
The monsoonal activity would gradually decrease during the second week of the month, but there would be scattered rain with isolated heavy rainfall in lower Sindh and northern parts of the country.
There could be isolated rainfall in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, lower Sindh, Punjab, northeast Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir during the second fortnight of the month.
The FFD has forecast scattered thunderstorm/rain of moderate intensity with isolated heavy rainfall in upper catchments of all major rivers along Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northeast Balochistan in the next 24 hours. Isolated thunderstorm/rain of moderate intensity was likely in Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan.
It said that high water flow was likely in hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan division during the period. The flows are also likely to increase in the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers.
Meanwhile, it continued to rain in different parts of the country on Friday. Multan received 42mm of rain, Balakot and Bahawalnagar 26mm (each), Sahiwal 22mm, Bahawalpur (city 20mm and airport 8mm), Kot Addu 15mm, Okara 11mm, and Barkhan and Kotli 9mm (each).
The Punjab government reported floods in hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan division. It said the irrigation minister had taken notice of a breach in a Sargodha canal and had ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2015