River Jhelum | Pakistan

LAHORE: The Flood Forecasting Division on Wednesday warned of “exceptionally high flood” in River Jhelum in the next 24 hours, producing 350,000- to 450,000-cusec stream and asked “all concerned to remain alert”. Although alert, both Indus River System Authority (Irsa) and Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) responding to warning are jubilant and promising to “absorb” the entire stream at Mangla Dam, where such cushion is available. According to Irsa spokesman Khalid Idrees Rana, the authority would do its best to store the entire stream. “In fact, the authority was hoping, and praying, for River Jehlum to swell during this monsoon and yield some additional water. At present, Mangla Dam is standing at 1,186 feet, against its maximum level of 1,242 feet – it still can go up by 56 feet. It is holding 3.41 million acre feet of water, whereas it can go up to 7.3 million feet. “Irsa’s optimism of absorbing the entire flood wave is based on the filling criteria. Unlike Tarbella, where after reaching a cer...