‘Divine will should not be blamed for the flood destruction, the real reason was unchecked construction on riverbeds and natural waterways,’ said the Defence Minister of Pakistan, Khawaja Asif, reported a media outlet. Speaking in the National Assembly, Asif said rains were a "blessing from God," but their benefits turn into devastation when housing societies, commercial structures, and even hotels are built along rivers and storm drains, the media outlet reported.
Pakistan cannot afford to wait decades for mega-dams, which will take 10 to 15 years to complete, Islamabad’s defence minister added as he stressed on to construct small dams at the village level.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Punjab remains in the grip of a worsening flood crisis, as the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers surge to "exceptionally high" levels, threatening vast swathes of land, while the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has warned of more torrential rain, which could lead to urban flooding across Lahore, Gujranwala, and Gujrat, media reported.
The media reports stated that the water level in Pakistan's Punjab rivers is expected to rise further after the High Commission of India informed Pakistan of incoming floodwater from the Harike and Ferozepur headworks, according to the Pakistan Commission for Indus Water.
"Harike and Ferozpur along the Sutlej in India are at high flood level as of 8am on Sept 1, which will affect the water levels in the respective downstream districts," says an advisory released by the PDMA. As of 1 am on Tuesday, the Chenab at Trimmu recorded a massive and steady outflow of 532,498 cusecs, classified as a "very high" flood. A dangerous surge is moving towards Head Trimmu, and water levels are expected to swell to nearly 700,000 cusecs.
At the same time, the Ravi River is also at a "very high" flood level at Balloki Headworks with 144,675 cusecs, while Sidhnai Headworks is also in a similar state, recording 105,604 cusecs and still rising.
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