India has released 24,000 cusecs water into River Sutlej: sources

LAHORE: India has released 24,000 cusecs of water into River Sutlej till now, sources at the Indus Water Commission said.

According to sources, the data which was received by Pakistan at 7pm on Monday revealed; India has released 24,000 cusecs of water into River Sutlej.

Sources further said the flow of water released in the Harike and Ferozpur Barrage is 150,000 cusecs while nearly 200,000 cusecs of water can be released into the Sutlej River.

India has released up to 0.2 million cusecs of water into the River Sutlej without notifying the relevant authorities.

A spokesperson for National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Brigadier Mukhtar Ahmed said a flood relay coming from Indian Punjab in the Sutlej River can enter Pakistan at any time this afternoon.

He added, at present, the water level at Ganda Singh Wala village in Kasur District is around sixteen to seventeen feet and 24,000 cusecs of water is entering at Ganda Singh Wala currently.

The spokesperson further said all federal and provincial bodies, including forces, are ready to cope with any untoward situation.

The administrations of Kasur and other districts located at the bank of the River Sutlej have been advised to take necessary measures to tackle any emergency situation.

A day earlier, Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters Shiraz Jamil Memon said India had suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and stopped all kinds of data sharing related to the water agreement between the two countries. India also did not notify Pakistan about releasing additional water into River Sutlej, the official said.

PDMA issues flood warning

The Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMA) of Punjab has issued a warning about possible floods in River Sutlej, Beas and Ravi as the level of water at key barrages was continuously increasing.

The administration has been advised to initiate necessary measures to tackle any emergency-like situation.

The Flood Forecasting Division Lahore said that heavy-to-extremely heavy rainfall had been observed over the upper and lower catchments of Rivers Sutlej, Beas and Ravi during the last 72 hours.

Discharges from Bhakra Dam and merging the flows from lower catchments were likely to synchronise to form medium-to-high flood level in River Sutlej.

The water flow could attain 80,000 to 90,000 cusecs with sharp peak up to 150,000 cusecs, starting from between August 20 to 21 at Sulemanki, 70,000-9,0000 cusecs (medium flood level) with sharp peak up to 130,000 cusecs (high flood level) starting from August 23 and at Islam 70,000-100,000 cusecs (low-medium flood level) starting from August 25.