India has released another large volume of water into the Sutlej River, according to irrigation authorities in Lahore on Tuesday. Officials estimate the outflow at around 250,000 to 300,000 cusecs.
The fresh discharge from the Pong and Bhakra dams is expected to enter Pakistan within the next 48 hours. Indian authorities notified Islamabad about the release through their high commission, irrigation sources confirmed.
For the past month, the Sutlej River has remained in a high-flood state at Ganda Singh Wala Headworks. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has now issued a high alert for districts along the river.
The agency warned that Kasur, Okara, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan, Vehari, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Multan, and Muzaffargarh face the risk of flooding. It also noted that heavy water flow was recorded at India’s Lower Harike and Firozpur points.
In southern Punjab, the Sutlej remains in high flood at Head Sulemanki. At the same time, the Chenab River is swelling at Trimmu Headworks. Officials expect the floodwaters to reach Multan by this evening. A joint surge of about 650,000 cusecs from the Ravi and Chenab rivers is forecast to pass downstream.
Further south, the Indus River is carrying rising floodwaters that could reach Sindh between September 6 and 7. At present, the river is in a low-flood state at Guddu, Sukkur, and Kotri barrages.
Sindh Chief Minister said during a press conference that 1.077 million cusecs had recently passed Qadirabad Barrage, with flows converging at Panjnad before joining the Indus at Kot Mithan. He added that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) expects 800,000 to 1.1 million cusecs at Guddu Barrage by September 5. Anything over 900,000 cusecs, he warned, would be declared a “super flood.”
Authorities across Punjab and Sindh remain on high alert as Pakistan braces for the impact of the Sutlej water release and additional flood flows in other major rivers.
For more details, read the full story on the Sutlej River flood hitting Bahawalnagar.
