LAHORE, Pakistan — Pakistan’s japanese Punjab province is coping with the most important flood in its historical past, a senior official mentioned Sunday, as water ranges of rivers rise to all-time highs.
World warming has worsened monsoon rains this yr in Pakistan, one of many international locations most weak to local weather change. Downpours and cloudbursts have triggered flash floods and landslides throughout the mountainous north and northwest in current months.
Residents in japanese Punjab have additionally skilled irregular quantities of rain, in addition to cross-border flooding after India launched water from swollen rivers and overflowing dams into Pakistan’s low-lying areas.
The senior minister for the province, Maryam Aurangzeb, instructed a press convention on Sunday: “That is the most important flood within the historical past of the Punjab. The flood has affected two million individuals. It’s the primary time that the three rivers — Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi — have carried such excessive ranges of water.”
Native authorities are utilizing instructional establishments, police, and safety services as rescue camps, and evacuating individuals, together with by boat, she mentioned.
“The Overseas Ministry is accumulating knowledge concerning India’s deliberate launch of water into Pakistan,” added Aurangzeb. There was no speedy remark from India.
India alerted its neighbor to the potential of cross-border flooding final week, the primary public diplomatic contact between the 2 international locations since a disaster introduced them near conflict in Could.
Punjab, dwelling to some 150 million individuals, is an important a part of the nation’s agricultural sector and is Pakistan’s major wheat producer. Ferocious flooding in 2022 worn out big swaths of crops within the east and south of the nation, main Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to warn that his nation confronted meals shortages.
Figures from Pakistan’s nationwide climate middle present that Punjab obtained 26.5% extra monsoon rain between July 1 and August 27 in comparison with the identical interval final yr.
The nation’s catastrophe administration authority mentioned 849 individuals have been killed and 1,130 injured nationwide in rain-related incidents since June 26.
Pakistan’s monsoon season often runs to the top of September.
