KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday warned of a possible super flood in Sindh as India released heavy water flows into the Chenab River. He urged the federal government to put in place a strong national climate change policy to deal with such threats.
Speaking at a press conference at the New Sindh Secretariat, along with Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Shah said that four days ago, 1.077 million cusecs had reached Qadirabad Barrage. These flows joined at Panjnad and then entered the Indus at Kot Mithan.
He said the NDMA had predicted 800,000 to 1.1 million cusecs at Guddu Barrage around September 5. "He explained that officials declare anything above 900,000 cusecs a super flood.”
The chief minister assured that the government had prepared Sindh. The government has strengthened embankments, set up round-the-clock monitoring camps, and implemented emergency measures. “Our top priority is to protect people, their animals, and our barrages,” he said. The government has reinforced sensitive points and put health services on high alert
He reminded that 550,000 cusecs of water safely passed through the Guddu Barrage on August 24. On climate change, Shah stressed it was a harsh reality. “For now, my focus is on keeping Sindh safe in the next 10 to 15 days, but as a country, we must build a solid national policy to fight climate change,” he said.
Shah also noted progress in disaster management since the creation of the Federal Flood Commission in the 1970s, adding that the NDMA and PDMA are actively coordinating response efforts. He said the government has assigned provincial ministers to supervise the Left and Right Banks of the Indus.
Explaining the situation, Shah said the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers caused the high flows in Punjab. “This water cannot be diverted to Kalabagh,” he clarified.
“The Sindh government is ready to handle flows between 800,000 and 1.1 million cusecs. The chief minister concluded that the government is taking every precaution
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