Punjab CM: At least 48,000 affected by Ravi floods

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Mohsin Naqvi has said that at least 48,000 individuals across 40 villages have been affected by the flooding in the Ravi river.

Naqvi added that the flooding in the nearby villages was a result of an excessive release of water by India this week.

A joint rescue operation was launched on Monday by the Punjab Rangers and Rescue 1122 teams in Tehsil Shakargarh of the province. “I personally visited the flood-affected areas, including several submerged villages in Jhang, during a three-hour-long visit and attentively listened to the concerns of the affected people,” he added.

The caretaker CM urged relevant authorities to monitor water levels in the rivers and accelerate relief efforts as various villages remained submerged in flood water.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), India released around 185,000 cusecs of water from Ujh Barrage on May 9, causing the water level in the Ravi river to rise. This happened alongside the forecast of heavy rainfall in the country.

As per Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA)’s statistics, India last year had released 173,000 cusecs of water. About one-third of the released wa­ter, or 60,000 cusecs, reached the dam, flooding the lower level in River Ravi.