Sindh ready to handle up to 1.1mn cusecs floodwater: Murad Ali Shah
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday said the province is fully prepared to handle high river flows of up to 1.1 million cusecs floodwater, as India released massive flows into the Chenab River, raising fears of a possible super flood.
Addressing a press conference at the New Sindh Secretariat alongside Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Murad Ali Shah noted that 1.077 million cusecs had reached Qadirabad Barrage four days ago, with major flows converging at Panjnad before entering the Indus at Kot Mithan.
The chief minister highlighted that the NDMA forecast between 800,000 to 1.1 million cusecs at Guddu Barrage around September 5. “Anything above 900,000 cusecs is declared a super flood,” he said, stressing that Sindh had strengthened embankments, fortified sensitive points, and set up round-the-clock monitoring camps to prevent a disaster.
“Our foremost responsibility is to protect human lives, livestock, and our barrages,” he added. “Recently, 550,000 cusecs passed through Guddu Barrage without any alarming situation.”
Murad Ali Shah also urged the federal government to frame a comprehensive climate change policy, warning that “the impacts of climate change are extremely dangerous” and stressing the need for a national-level approach.
He further announced that provincial ministers had been assigned to monitor both the Left and Right Banks of the Indus River for effective field supervision.
Shah emphasized that the high flows in Punjab were caused by the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers, clarifying that “this water cannot be diverted to Kalabagh.”
“The Sindh government is prepared to handle flows ranging from 800,000 to 1.1 million cusecs. Every precautionary step is being taken,” the CM concluded.
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