Lahore (Staff Report)
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Punjab has issued a high alert, warning of possible cloudbursts and heavy downpours in the next 24 hours. Officials say the seventh spell of the monsoon is expected to be the most intense this year, with upper Punjab likely to face torrential rains.
According to PDMA, recent rainfall measurements showed 28 mm in Murree, 22 mm in Rawalpindi, and 11 mm each in Lahore and Sialkot. The Indus River is in low flood at Tarbela and Taunsa, while medium-level flooding has been recorded at Kalabagh and Chashma. Water levels in Mangla and Tarbela dams are also approaching dangerous limits.
Director General PDMA Irfan Ali Kathia has directed district administrations to remain on high alert, keeping rescue teams and equipment ready. Citizens have been advised to avoid rivers, streams, and low-lying areas, and to refrain from unnecessary travel during the heavy rain spell.
PDMA’s fact sheet revealed that this monsoon season has already claimed 164 lives across Punjab, injured 582 people, and damaged 216 houses.
Meanwhile, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, torrential rains and cloudbursts have taken a heavy toll, with the death count rising to 307, including women and children. Provincial authorities confirmed that relief operations are underway and rescue teams are actively deployed in the worst-hit districts.
