Latest news with #MahrSahibzadKhan
Express Tribune
7 days ago
- Climate
- Express Tribune
Rivers stable, but India could trigger floods
Water levels surge in the Indus River at Kotri Barrage as heavy monsoon rains continue to drench large swathes of the country. Authorities remain on alert as upstream flows build pressure across key barrages. PHOTO: APP Pakistan may face potential flooding if India releases water into rivers flowing across the border, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) warned on Tuesday, amid forecasts of back-to-back monsoon spells and increased Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk this month. PMD Director General Mahr Sahibzad Khan said that while most rivers in Pakistan remain stable, the Chenab River faces a possible flood threat. The Ravi River, he noted, is currently safe due to available storage in Indian dams. "There's no flood threat in the Jhelum and Sutlej rivers at present, but the Chenab is at risk," Khan told The Express Tribune. "Flooding could occur if India releases excess water. However, our dams currently have sufficient capacity to manage inflows." Khan added that the ongoing monsoon spell would continue until Friday, July 25, followed by another wet spell at the end of the month. He warned that persistent rainfall, especially in northern areas, could heighten flood risks. "The rainfall is improving dam levels, but the threat remains. Another weather system is expected later this month, which may bring more intense rain," he cautioned. Despite its minimal contribution to global carbon emissions, Pakistan remains one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Khan attributed increasing weather unpredictability, cloudbursts, and glacial melt to global climate shifts. "Pakistan's contribution to air pollution is negligible, yet we are among the hardest hit by climate change," he said. "Extreme rainfall and rapid glacier melt are creating hazardous conditions." Addressing recent flooding in Islamabad's Saidpur Village and Chakwal, Khan clarified that these were not cloudburst events. "A cloudburst is defined by over 100mm of rainfall in one hour. In Saidpur, it was prolonged heavy rain over 24 hours," he explained. "The flooding was aggravated by illegal constructions blocking natural drainage channels." "Pakistan's contribution to air pollution is negligible, yet we are among the hardest hit by climate change," he said. "Extreme rainfall and rapid glacier melt are creating hazardous conditions." GLOF Alert The Met Office has issued a high-alert warning for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), where rapid glacier melt and heavy rains threaten to trigger flash floods. "Glacial melt combined with intense rain may cause sudden river surges and flooding in low-lying areas," the Met Department stated in its daily report. It advised all relevant disaster management authorities to remain on high alert.
India Today
04-06-2025
- Climate
- India Today
Over 20 mild earthquakes shake Karachi in 48 hours, experts warn of bigger quake
Since Sunday night, a swarm of mild earthquakes has rattled Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, sparking concern, confusion, and a flurry of forecasts. Karachi has recorded at least 21 low- to moderate-intensity tremors -- ranging from magnitude 2.1 to 3.6 -- in less than 48 hours, but experts remain divided on whether a larger, more dangerous quake is most powerful tremor so far, a magnitude 3.6 jolt on Sunday night, caused a partial collapse of the Malir Jail wall, allowing 216 prisoners to escape, news agency PTI the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has urged calm, some independent voices are sounding the alarm. 'The earthquake tremors of mild intensity will continue for the next two to three days, and the situation will improve as the intensity of the quakes will reduce,' PMD Director General Mahr Sahibzad Khan reassured citizens. As the city experienced continuous tremors, social media was full of posts about a potential major earthquake. The debate took a serious turn when a private Pakistani geologist said he predicted the Karachi earthquakes well before they occurred and that a major earthquake was due on Friday and Saturday Shahbaz Laghari, CEO of the private Earthquake News & Research Centre, offered a sharply different view.'Our research shows that a series of small tremors often signals a major earthquake is on its way,' he said, warning that 'the nights of Friday and Saturday are particularly critical for Karachiites this week.'advertisementLaghari added that his team had accurately predicted the recent tremors and urged the Sindh government to issue public warnings. 'Karachi has small fault lines in areas of Korangi and Malir that are causing minor earthquakes,' he other experts pushed back on the doomsday predictions.'There is nothing to worry about for the people of Karachi,' DG Khan Chief Meteorologist Amir Hyder Laghari noted the activation of a historical fault line in the region: 'The fault is releasing its seismic energy,' he said, suggesting the tremor frequency should subside within a DG Khan, too, said there is 'nothing to worry about for people of Karachi.'Curiously, neither the United States Geological Survey (USGS) nor India's National Centre for Seismology (NCS) recorded any seismic activity in the Karachi region since Sunday, raising further questions about local monitoring and reporting inputs from PTI
