Chenab remains in high flood as rains lash held Kashmir, Punjab

• Flood Forecasting Division warns flows may rise further by July 25 amid new monsoon spell
• Urban flooding likely in parts of Punjab, KP and Balochistan

LAHORE: The Chenab River continued to remain in a high-flood state on Thursday as torrential rains lashed held Kashmir and several parts of Punjab.

“The water level in the Chenab River at Marala and Khanki has subsided to medium flood. However, the river is flowing in high flood at Qadirabad and Chiniot Bridge. It is expected to subside by the time it reaches Trimmu Headworks after passing Chiniot Bridge,” a senior irrigation department official told Dawn. “This is according to a fresh report issued on Thursday evening,” he added.

However, he warned of a possible rise in the river’s water level again at Marala if rains continued in held Kashmir.

“Rains are still continuing in parts of held Kashmir. We will receive Thurs­day’s report from held Kashmir on Friday (today). Let’s see what happens,” he added.

According to the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) of the Pakistan Meteo­rological Department, the Chenab River at Khanki and Qadirabad is in high flood, while it is in medium flood at Marala.

“The Indus River at Tarbela and Chashma, the Kabul River at Nowshera, the Chenab River at Chiniot bridge and the Ravi River at Balloki are in low flood. All other major rivers are flowing at normal levels at other gauging stations,” the FFD said in its daily report.

Warning

However, it stated that scattered to widespread rain, accompanied by wind and thunderstorms with isolated heavy to very heavy falls, was expected over the catchments of all major rivers due to a westerly weather system coupled with strong monsoon currents deflected from the Bay of Bengal.

“Consequently, river flows are likely to increase significantly up to July 25,” it warned.

The FFD also predicted flash flooding in the hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan, streams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Balochistan. It also warned of urban flooding in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Okara and Sahiwal.

For the next 24 hours, the FFD forecast widespread rain, wind and thunderstorms, with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over the upper catchments of all major rivers, Islamabad and Kashmir.

It also predicted similar weather conditions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Abb­o­ttabad, Bajaur, Bannu, Batagram, Buner, Charsadda, Dera Ismail Khan, Hangu, Haripur, Karak, Khyber, Kohat, Kurram, Lakki Marwat, Mansehra, Mardan, Moh­mand, Waziristan, Nowshera, Orakzai, Pe­­shawar, Shangla, Swabi, Swat, Tank and Dir.

The FFD also forecast similar weather conditions in Punjab’s Rawalpindi, Atto­­ck, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hafiz­abad, Jhelum, Kasur, Lahore, Lodhran, Mandi Bahauddin, Nankana Sahib, Narowal, Okara, Pakpattan, Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Toba Tek Singh and Vehari.

It added that similar weather conditions were likely in Sindh’s Badin, Mirpu­rkhas, Sanghar, Tharparkar and Umer­kot, and Balochistan’s Qila Saifullah, Loralai, Musakhel, Sherani and Zhob.

Meanwhile, regarding water levels and live storage in major reservoirs, Wapda’s daily report said Tarbela Dam had a water level of 1,519.11 feet with live storage of 3.891 million acre feet (MAF).

Mangla Dam’s water level stood at 1,183.90 feet with live storage of 3.297 MAF, while Chashma Lake had a water level of 645.50 feet and live storage of 0.157 MAF on Thursday.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2026 ...