KEY POINTS
- India again bypasses the Indus Water Commission, sending 3rd flood alert diplomatically.
- Sindh braces for Indus peak at Guddu Barrage on Sept 9; over 100,000 people already evacuated.
- PMD forecasts torrential rains in Sindh until Sept 10, heightening urban flooding risks.
- NDMA intensifies nationwide rescue operations as death toll crosses 900.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s flood emergency entered a critical phase on Monday as authorities scrambled to reinforce embankments and evacuate residents in Sindh province. At the same time, Islamabad voiced concern that India has once again bypassed the Permanent Indus Commission in relaying urgent flood alerts.
In a notice dated September 7, the Indian High Commission in Islamabad directly informed Pakistan’s Foreign Office of high flood levels recorded on the Sutlej River at Harike and Ferozepur.
Officials confirmed this marked the third occasion this season when New Delhi chose the diplomatic channel instead of the Indus Water Treaty’s institutional mechanism — the Permanent Indus Commission.
Water managers cautioned that repeated deviations undermine established protocols for data sharing at a time when rapid, reliable communication through proper channels is vital.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned that a deep depression moving from Gujarat was driving “torrential and very heavy rains” across Sindh until September 10.
Its advisory, issued September 8, highlighted the risk of urban flooding, coastal inundation, and waterlogging in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, and multiple southern districts of the province.
The Flood Forecasting Division further cautioned of exceptionally high flood levels in the Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala, very high flood stage in the Chenab at Panjnad, and a peak expected at Guddu Barrage between September 8 and 9 with flows surpassing 800,000 cusecs.
Briefing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that more than 100,000 residents have already been evacuated from katcha belts in Sindh.
Displacements in Punjab have exceeded 1.8 million. The NDMA informed the Prime Minister that they were continuously deploying relief convoys, medical teams, and temporary shelters. However, many affected families have opted to remain on embankments rather than move to camps.
The PM directed NDMA to maintain continuous coordination with provincial disaster management authorities, intensify search operations for missing persons, and ensure timely alerts for at-risk riverine populations.
“The coming 48 hours will be decisive,” he was quoted as saying, urging all agencies to maximise preparedness.
Nationwide, the flood death toll has climbed beyond 900 since late June, with Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa worst hit.
Officials warn that the convergence of torrential rainfall and surging river flows will test the resilience of Sindh’s barrage system as the Indus crest travels downstream over the coming days.
