Sindh braces for floodwaters as over 1.6 million face risk
KARACHI (Web News) – Sindh’s senior minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has warned that as many as 1.6 million people across 1,657 villages could be affected if floodwaters enter the province on 2 or 3 September.
Speaking at a press conference, Memon said the provincial administration had activated its machinery to mitigate the threat, with ministers on the ground and district officials fully engaged. He said 551 relief camps had been established, while 192 rescue boats had been allocated to vulnerable areas.
The warning comes amid devastation in Punjab, where at least 30 people have died and more than 1.5 million have been affected following flooding from the Sutlej, Chenab and Ravi rivers. More than 481,000 residents in Punjab have already been evacuated to safer locations as relief efforts continue.
Barrage discharges
According to Memon, floodwaters could enter Sindh between 2 and 3 September, with water discharges already being recorded at high levels across major barrages. Guddu barrage is currently releasing 351,000 cusecs, Sukkur 289,000 cusecs, and Kotri 251,000 cusecs. He clarified that Guddu has a capacity of 1.2 million cusecs, Sukkur 900,000, and Kotri 600,000, indicating there was no immediate alarm. If no further heavy rains occur, the situation may remain manageable, he said.
The senior minister added that 273,000 families in 167 union councils could be affected if water levels rise further. Around 300 camps have been prepared for livestock, while 15 districts along the Indus River are under close monitoring.
Local evacuations
Jamshoro Deputy Commissioner Ghazanfar Ali Qadri has carried out inspections of low-lying areas in Sehwan, where the Indus is swelling at 250,000 cusecs. Officials reported that two talukas — Sehwan and Manjhand — are already experiencing a flood-like situation, with 28 villages inundated. More areas may be hit in the coming days as water from Punjab moves downstream.
