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Express Tribune
35 minutes ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Rs500m to be spent on curbing river erosion
The Punjab Cabinet Committee on Disaster Management has approved six schemes worth Rs500 million to curb river erosion in the province. Provincial Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said while presiding over a meeting on Thursday that schemes had been approved to protect vulnerable areas from river erosion, including settlements in Mandi Bahauddin, Layyah and Jhang. PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia briefed the participants on anti-erosion measures and strengthening of river embankments.
Arab News
a day ago
- Climate
- Arab News
Pakistan warns of fresh monsoon spell from Aug. 5 as rain death toll surges to 288
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Meteorological Department (PMD) warned on Wednesday that a fresh monsoon spell from August 5 onwards is likely to trigger heavy rains and flash floods in several parts of the country, as the death toll from rain-related incidents since June 26 surged to 288. Torrential rains have continued to wreak havoc across Pakistan since late June, killing 288 people in total as per data shared by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The rains have killed 136 children in total and injured 691 people. The Met Department also warned of flash floods in the northern regions' local streams. These areas include Dir, Swat, Shangla, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Kohat, Karak, Hangu, Tank, Dera Ghazi Khan, Murree, Galliyat and Azad Kashmir. 'A fresh monsoon activity with isolated heavy falls is expected to start from Aug 5,' the PMD said in its daily weather report. It warned that river flows are likely to increase up to the medium level under the influence of the upcoming monsoon spell. Authorities in Punjab issued a flood alert on Wednesday, warning of rising water levels in the Chenab, Jhelum and Sutlej rivers, with possible urban flooding in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Lahore over the next 48 hours. The provincial disaster management authority (PDMA) urged residents in low-lying or riverbank settlements to follow precautionary guidelines and cooperate with local officials during evacuations. Pakistan, which ranks among the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, has witnessed increasingly erratic weather events in recent years. In May, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms, while a third of the country was submerged by devastating floods in 2022 that killed more than 1,700 people, affected over 30 million and caused an estimated $35 billion in damages. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has repeatedly directed authorities to intensify rescue operations in flood-affected areas of the country.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Climate
- Express Tribune
Monsoon rains set to intensify
The fifth spell of monsoon rains of the ongoing season is set to begin across Punjab and continue through July 31, prompting alerts and emergency preparations across the province, officials said. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), heavy rainfall is expected in various districts of northern, central, and South Punjab, including Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, Narowal, Sialkot, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Sargodha, Mianwali, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar. The PDMA has warned of potential urban flooding in low-lying areas due to drainage overload. "The monsoon system may cause flooding in Punjab's rivers and streams," said PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia. He added that water levels in the Ravi, Chenab, Sutlej, and Jhelum rivers could rise significantly during this period. The Indus River is already experiencing a medium-level flood at Taunsa Barrage, where water flow has reached 410,000 cusecs. Low-level floods are also being reported at Tarbela, Kalabagh, and Chashma. The Punjab chief minister has ordered all district administrations to remain on high alert. Deputy commissioners have been directed to stay in the field and enforce Section 144 to restrict risky public movement around rivers and drains. Police have been instructed to increase patrolling near water bodies. Municipal bodies, WASA, and Rescue 1122 have been placed on standby, with orders to ensure immediate drainage from low-lying areas, deploy staff and equipment at chokepoints, and keep pumping stations and generators operational. Private housing societies have been warned to eliminate water ponding or face legal action. The chief minister emphasised that these societies are solely responsible for managing their own drainage. The PDMA also released a monsoon fact sheet, detailing rainfall statistics, river and reservoir water levels, and overall flood risk. The statement confirmed that light rain was recorded in Sialkot over the past 24 hours, and predicted more rain in most districts in the coming days. No casualties were reported from the latest rainfall, but the monsoon season has already claimed 152 lives in Punjab this year.
Arab News
5 days ago
- Climate
- Arab News
Pakistan warns of more monsoon rains next week as death toll reaches 271
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's state media on Sunday forecast more rain and likely flooding in several parts of the country from next week, as the death toll from monsoon downpours since late June reached 271. Intense monsoon rains have battered Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad since June 26, causing urban floods and glacial lake outburst floods in several parts of the country. Pakistan has received above-normal rainfall this monsoon season, raising concerns of a repeat of the devastating 2022 floods that submerged a third of the country and killed 1,737 people. 'More monsoon rains with wind-thundershower have been predicted across the country from tomorrow (Monday),' state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. According to the Met Office, a westerly wave is also expected to approach on Tuesday. The state broadcaster warned heavy rains may generate flash floods in local nullahs and streams across the country, adding that torrential rains may cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of major cities. 'Landslides and mudslides may cause road closures in the vulnerable hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Galliyat, and Kashmir during the forecast period,' it added. Keeping in mind the rain forecast, the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a flood warning for the Chenab and Jhelum rivers and their adjoining tributaries. The disaster management authority cautioned the public and authorities of possible low to medium-level flooding from Monday to July 31. It warned of an 'unusual rise' in water levels in both rivers, urging authorities to take preemptive measures. Monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across Pakistan, killing 271 and injuring 655 since June 26. As per the NDMA's latest situation report, Punjab has reported the highest number of deaths with 145 killed, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 63 casualties, Sindh with 25 deaths, Balochistan with 20, the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region with eight deaths, Islamabad with eight and Azad Kashmir region reporting two deaths. In total, 1,191 houses have been damaged, and 367 livestock have perished due to rain-related incidents since June 26.
Hans India
24-07-2025
- Climate
- Hans India
Monsoon fury claims 18 more lives in Pakistan
Islamabad: Eighteen more people have lost their lives across Pakistan as torrential monsoon continues to batter several areas of the country, triggering devastating floods and storms. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a warning predicting continued rainfall across most parts of the country through July 25, leading Pakistani daily, The Express Tribune reports. At least 13 people were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) province, while 10-15 people were swept away in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) statement on Wednesday, among the 13 deceased in K-P province, nine are children, three women and one man. In addition, three others, including two children and one woman, were injured due to rain-related incidents. PDMA's preliminary damage report detailed that at least 19 houses sustained damage, with 17 partially damaged and two completely destroyed across the province. The incidents occurred in several districts of the province, including Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Mardan, Kurram, Haripur, Mansehra, Upper Chitral, Malakand, and Shangla, local media reports stated. Over the past 48 hours, the Swat district was the worst-affected as flash floods and the collapse of a house killed six children and one woman, and injured another woman and child. Additionally, in Buner, three casualties were recorded due to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunder and lightning. A woman and her child died after being hit by lightning, while an eight-year-old boy was washed away during the heavy downpour. The dead body was later recovered by the PDMA. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Wednesday issued a nationwide alert on widespread rain, wind, and thundershowers, and warned of heavy to heavy rainfalls in several regions, raising concerns over potential flash floods, urban flooding, and landslides. Heavy downpours have also raised fears of urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Okara, Nowshera, and Peshawar. Meanwhile, heavy downpours early Wednesday morning submerged low-lying areas in Lahore and several other cities across Punjab province, hampering daily activities and electricity supply in multiple neighbourhoods. Furthermore, rainfall also disrupted dozens of power feeders as water accumulated on major roads, severely affecting mobility and local infrastructure. Relentless rainfall also lashed Lahore, inundating several underpasses and streets, crippling the drainage systems.
