Narowal'da sel felaketi: Hindistan'dan gelen yağışlar binlerce dönümü vurdu

Flooding in Baein drain submerges villages, roads in Narowal

NAROWAL/LAHORE: Several villages, roads and thousands of acres of agricultural land have been submerged after flooding in the Baein rainwater drain while levels in the River Ravi and Nullah Dek are also rapidly rising. As per details, the flooding was caused by the heavy rains upstream in India and India-held Kashmir a day earlier, resulting in water levels in drains and the Ravi continuously rising. Baein drain recorded a high flood that entered the Shakargarh tehsil from India-held Kashmir. The Baein drain has a capacity of 6,000 cusecs whereas the water-level in it has risen to 7,720 cusecs. The flooding has submerged thousands of acres of agricultural land and water has entered homes and animal sheds in nearby villages. The roads connecting the villages have also been flooded and citizens travellers between Norkot and Kot Naina villages have been facing difficulties due to the high-level flood. Citizens are standing in queues to cross the Baein drain by private boats. Situation arose after high floodwater from India-held Kashmir entered the area; storm water drains feeding Ravi are still in medium flood Narowal Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Tayyab Khan told Dawn that storm water drains and level in the Ravi were being continuously monitored. He said that a controlroom as well as relief camps had been set up for citizens and added that relief camps had living areas, food, medicines and fodder for animals. He said the district administration was on high alert to deal with any untoward situation. Irrigation EXEN Engineer Ali Raza said there was medium-level flood in the Auj and Dek rain drains, while floodwater was at normal flood in the Ravi. He said irrigation teams were present in the field to monitor the situation and deal with any emergency. Narowal Rescue 1122 district emergency officer said they received information that a tractor-trolley driver was stranded while trying to cross the Baein nullah near Antowali village in Shakargarh tehsil. He said rescue teams reached the spot and rescued the driver, 35-year-old Muhammad Shahid, along with his tractor-trolley after a struggle of two hours. Despite reduction in flows, various storm water nullahs entering the River Ravi at various locations are still flowing in medium flood levels. According to the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, at Jalalah, the flow in Nullah Ujh fell to 35,000 cusecs, but medium-level flooding continues to prevail. The flow in Nullah Baein declined to 6,771 cusecs, though medium-level flooding persists. Similarly, the discharge in Nullah Dek has decreased to 16,487 cusecs, with medium-level flooding continuing at the location. At Kot Naina, the discharge increased to 43,600 cusecs, resulting in a low-level flooding. The FFD figures indicate that water flows have receded at most of the monitored points, although flood conditions remain a concern in several areas. Meanwhile, the FFD says that no significant increase in inflows is expected at major river gauging stations over the next 24 hours. The flows in the River Indus at Kalabagh, Chashma, Guddu and Sukkur barrages are expected to remain at low flood levels. In its forecast for Aug 11 to 18, the FFD said that the prevailing weather conditions and analysis suggested that anticipated rainfall in Islamabad, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and upper Punjab was unlikely to cause any significant increase in flows at major rim-gauging stations. However, it added that flows at major rim-gauging stations on the Ravi and Chenab rivers could reach low flood levels during the period. It is pertinent to mention that Nullah Ujh is a seasonal, rain-fed tributary of the Ravi that originates across the border and enters Pakistan through Shakargarh tehsil of Narowal district. The stream is notorious for sudden surges during the monsoon, which can threaten nearby settlements and strain flood-protection infrastructure, including the Jalal Flood Bund. Nullah Bein is another trans-boundary rain-fed stream that enters Pakistan near Shakargarh before draining into the Ravi. Its water levels can rise sharply following heavy monsoon rains, raising the threat of flash flooding, soil erosion and damage to rural communities located along its course. Nullah Dek is a major seasonal tributary of the Ravi. It is formed by the confluence of the Devak and Basantar rivers in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir before entering Pakistan near Zafarwal. The stream then traverses Narowal, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Sheikhupura districts, carrying substantial monsoon runoff towards the Ravi. Meanwhile, a daily water report issued by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) on Tuesday says that the inflows and outflows at Indus at Tarbela were recorded as 210,700 cusecs and 209,900 cusecs respectively, followed by the river Kabul at Nowshera having inflow of 32,300 cusecs and outflow of 32,300 cusecs, Jhelum at Mangla having inflow of 31,700 cusecs and outflow of 7,000 cusecs and Chenab at Marala having inflow of 71,500 cusecs and outflow of 56,200 cusecs. Tarbela Dam’s present water level is at 1,550 feet, reaching its maximum conservation level. The live storage remained 5.580 MAF on Tuesday. In Mangla dam, the water level was recorded as 1207.65 feet with live storage of 4.732 feet. The maximum conservation level of the dam is 1,242 feet. Chashma lake’s level was recorded as 648.50 feet — almost full to its maximum conservation level of 649 feet. The live storage remained at 0.285 MAF. “The inflows and outflows of River Indus at Tarbela, Jinnah and Chashma, River Kabul at Nowshera and River Jhelum at Mangla have been reflected as mean flows of 24 hours, whereas the other flows have been gauged at 6am,” the report said. Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2026