Sialkot authorities on alert as India opens spillway gates of dam on Chenab River

NAROWAL: A warning was issued on Thursday stating that the water level in the Chenab River will rise by more than three metres due to the opening of the spillway gates of the Indian Salal Dam, with a risk of silt flushing at the Marala Barrage. Sialkot Deputy Commissioner Saba Asghar has deployed the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority to monitor the river. She told Dawn that an important advisory had been issued by India in view of possible emergency silt flushing at the Salal Dam on the Chenab River from May 21 to May 30. Asghar added that in view of the rising water level, a high alert had been issued at the Marala Barrage and adjacent areas, especially Bajwat. She also appealed to citizens to avoid unnecessary visits to rivers and canals and advised them to take precautionary measures. Additionally, the District Emergency Control Room has been activated, and citizens can contact 0529250011 for more information and guidance, Asghar said. The DC directed all relevant departments to monitor the Chenab River 24 hours a day, and further ordered restrictions on the movement of people and animals along its banks and riverbed. In the advisory, Asghar ordered that barrage gates, telemetry systems and flood safety arrangements be kept fully functional, and that the canal system and water flow be continuously monitored. She further directed that communication between the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the Meteorological Department and other district institutions be strengthened, and that any sudden increase in water or grey flow be reported immediately. Last August, severe flooding in the Sutlej, Ravi, and Chenab rivers prompted mass evacuations across Punjab, with the situation aggravated due to a renewed spell of downpour and a barrage breach in India. Authorities in Punjab grappled with an unprecedented hydrological crisis, as the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) and PDMA reported dangerously high water levels across key river sites, with sever