Key Points
- The increasing water flow may cause high flood levels at Kalabagh and Chashma within 24 hours.
- Widespread heavy rain is expected across Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan.
ISLAMABAD: The mighty Indus is swelling with power this monsoon season. As of Friday, the River Indus is currently flowing at a medium flood at Kalabagh and at a low flood at Tarbela, Chashma, and the Guddu-Sukkur stretch, according to the Federal Flood Commission (FFC).
Meanwhile, the other major rivers in the Indus River System — Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej — continue to flow at normal levels, offering a temporary sigh of relief for regions downstream.
With combined live storage in Tarbela, Chashma, and Mangla reservoirs recorded at 8.391 million acre-feet (MAF) — roughly 63 per cent of the total 13.316 MAF capacity — the water system remains under increasing pressure.
The FFC has forecast scattered thunderstorms and isolated heavy rainfalls over Punjab’s Bahawalpur Division and northern Sindh in the next 24 hours, while north and northeastern Punjab and the upper catchments of the rivers Sutlej, Ravi, Chenab, and Jhelum may also see light to moderate rainfall activity.
Driven by the anticipated rainfall in upstream regions, the situation could intensify soon as the River Indus at Kalabagh and Chashma is expected to reach high flood levels within the next 24 hours.
Looking further ahead, the weather forecast warns of scattered thunderstorm activity with isolated heavy downpours over Sindh, eastern Balochistan, and southern Punjab — potentially worsening the flood outlook.
Authorities are urging residents in vulnerable areas to stay alert and follow official advisories as the flood threat grows. The next 48 hours will be critical in determining how the Indus and its tributaries shape this monsoon season.
