Heavy rains likely to lash Sindh and Punjab: 'next four days critical'

Flood Forecasting Bureau (FFB) has warned that the next four days are critical. Heavy rains in Punjab and Sindh can cause urban flooding in major cities, flash flood in canals, collapse of mud houses, washing away of kucha roads, flood in low lying areas, uprooting of trees and dismantling of billboards.
The FFB said that high flood can be expected in River Chenab (Jammu Tawi, Munawar Tawi). Most of the districts in Punjab along the border in the east and also in the eastern Sindh including Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Mithi, Umarkot, Sanghar are likely to be affected.
The report said that intensity of the windstorm could be 100 to 140 km/hour at some places. Effects of the storm can also affect Karachi. Flood Forecasting Bureau said yesterday's deep depression over Orissa - India moved in a north-westerly direction and weakened into a depression, lay centred at 0800 PST over Central India. (The system is not likely to weaken further as expected earlier.). The Depression (Strong Monsoon Weather System) is expected to move in westerly - North Westerly direction in next 12 hours.
The system is expected to cause widespread heavy rains at times extremely heavy rainfall accompanied with strong gusty winds in Sindh and Punjab during the next four days. The rainfall is later expected to extend to catchment area.
Widespread at times heavy downpours accompanied with gusty winds are also expected in Kashmir, earthquake-affected areas, parts of Balochistan and NWFP, the report said.
A consolidated report of the Federal Flood Commission, Islamabad said on account of prevalent weather system over Pakistan, scattered rainfall is expected over North eastern Balochistan & Makran Coast besides isolated light rain over the upper catchments of rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej along with Northern, North eastern and Southern Punjab (including Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore and Bahawalpur Divisions) during ensuing 24 hours.
Latest reports about rivers' position said that River Kabul continues to experience high flood both at Warsak and Nowshera whereas River Indus is in low flood at Chashma (downstream Kalabagh). Rest of the main rivers (ie River Indus except for Cashma, and Rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej are flowing normal.
Kabul River at Adezai Bridge, Swat river at Munda Headworks and at Amandara, & Khuzakhela, Naguman River at Charsadda Road at Gambila Bridge, Jindi river at Charsadda and Chitral river at Chitral are in high to very high floods. The report said that in the Sindh province, Six No breaches in F.P. Bund due to overtopping of Bund by the flood water are still to be plugged. After overtopping of Dhori distributory (being used as second line of defence) water will initially move towards Qubo Saeed Khan Tehsil and subsequently to Shahdadkot.
At present Sindh Irrigation authorities are strengthening Dhori Distributory to avoid any likely overtopping. Reportedly Hair Din Drain of RBOD has also been entirely flooded.
Irrigation & Power department Sindh is making all efforts with the help of its field staff and Pakistan Army field formations to control the situation. In Balochistan, the report said, water level in Mirani Dam is receding continuously after attaining a level of 271.40 feet at midnight on 27th June. Its reported level at 1830 hours on Saturday was 252.40 ft.