Islamabad:
Pakistan can face potential floods if India releases water in the rivers crossing the border, warned the meteorological department of Pakistan (PMD) on Tuesday, in the midst of consecutive monsoon spell forecasts and increased risk of deluge on glacial lakes (GLOF) this month.
The Director General of the PMD, Mahr Sahibzad Khan, said that if most of the rivers in Pakistan remain stable, the Chenab river faces a possible flood threat. The Ravi, he noted, is currently safe due to the storage available in Indian dams.
“There is no threat to floods in the Jhelum and Sutlej rivers at present, but the Chenab is in danger,” Khan told The Express PK Press Club. “Floods could occur if India releases excess water. However, our dams currently have a sufficient capacity to manage entries.”
Khan added that the current monsoon fate would continue until Friday, July 25, followed by another wet spell at the end of the month. He warned that persistent precipitation, especially in the northern regions, could increase the risk of flooding.
“Precipitation improves dam levels, but the threat remains. Another meteorological system is expected later this month, which could bring more intense rains,” he warned.
Despite its minimum contribution to global carbon emissions, Pakistan remains one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Khan has attributed the increase in the unpredictability of weather conditions, cloud explosions and glacial cast iron to global climate offsets.
“Pakistan’s contribution to air pollution is negligible, but we are among the hardest affected by climate change,” he said. “The extreme precipitation and the rapid melting of the glaciers create dangerous conditions.”
Tackling recent floods in the village of Saidpur of Islamabad and Chakwal, Khan said that they were not cloud events.
“An explosion of clouds is defined by more than 100 mm of precipitation in an hour. In Saidpur, it has extended heavy rains over 24 hours,” he said. “The floods have been aggravated by illegal constructions blocking natural drainage channels.”
“Pakistan’s contribution to air pollution is negligible, but we are among the hardest affected by climate change,” he said. “The extreme precipitation and the rapid melting of the glaciers create dangerous conditions.”
GLOF ALERT
The Met Office has issued a high alert warning for the lighting floods of the glacial lake in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), where the rapid melting of glaciers and heavy rain threatens to trigger sudden floods.
“The glacial merger combined with intense rain can cause overvoltages of the sudden river and floods in the low zones,” said the department puts in its daily report. He advised all the relevant disaster management authorities to remain on alert.
