Confusion persists over chances of floods in Ravi

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

* Residents getting mixed signals with district govt warning of floods and Flood Forecast Division claiming there are no chances of an overflow

Staff Report

LAHORE: Residents of settlements along the Ravi River are in a constant state of confusion after the City District Government Lahore once again issued flood warnings, Daily Times has learnt.

On Sunday evening, the CDGL issued flood warnings to residents of various localities on the riverbed of Ravi to evacuate the area owing to expected flooding. The rumours spread to other areas, where loudspeakers of the relevant area’s mosques were used to make the announcements.

Many families in the Sherakot locality, after listening to the warning, started shifting their valuables onto the rooftops of their houses. Many others gathered on the Ravi Bridge to witness the flood situation. However, the Flood Forecast Division denied any alarming situation in Ravi for another week.

Chaudhry Iqbal, a resident of Shahdara, said the CDGL had issued a warning last Sunday as well to the people of these areas to prepare for a flood in case India releases waters after receiving heavy rains in the catchment areas of the river.

He said many families were panicking after the warning, but the situation in the river was normal, adding that the government should only issue such warnings in case of a real emergency.

According to the Flood Forecast Division, the water flow at Jasar is 14,750 cusecs, 27,680 cusecs at Siphon, 29,520 cusecs at Shahdara and 69,935 cusecs at Baloki. A Flood Forecast Division spokesman said the situation was alarming only when the water level crosses 40,000 cusecs at Shahdara. He said that currently, there was no chance of an overflow, as there was no forecast of rain in India for the next week or so. Moreover, he said the Indian side would intimate Pakistani authorities 48 hours before releasing the water, but currently “even the dams on the Indian side are not completely filled and hence there is little to no chance of flood in the Ravi”.