Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has declared a state of high alert, instructing provincial authorities to prepare for the imminent threat of “super floods.” The directive comes after the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) forecasted catastrophic water flows in the Indus River, predicting levels between 800,000 to 1.1 million cusecs at key barrages in Sindh. The CM, after a personal visit to Guddu Barrage, stated that flows exceeding 900,000 cusecs would meet the criteria for a “super flood” scenario, eclipsing all recent events except for the historic 2010 floods which saw flows of 1.15 million cusecs.
The provincial government’s strategy is squarely focused on pre-emptive evacuation to prevent a loss of life. CM Murad explicitly warned that the entire Katcha area—the fertile land within the riverine belt—will be inundated and will require a full-scale evacuation of residents and their livestock. He has issued direct orders to all commissioners in the province to immediately begin making the necessary logistical preparations for this large-scale humanitarian operation.
To bolster the provincial response, the Chief Minister confirmed that disaster management efforts are being coordinated with national institutions. The Pakistan Navy has already deployed two emergency response teams to assist, and the Sindh government is in close contact with the Pakistan Army to request further assistance if the situation escalates. The objective, as reiterated by the CM, is to ensure “no loss of lives” by moving people away from the vulnerable areas inside the protective dykes before the floodwaters arrive.
The crisis originates from unprecedented water releases from upstream in Punjab. The CM highlighted that the rising water levels at Trimmu Barrage in Jhang and Sulemanki on the Sutlej River will eventually flow downstream into Sindh. He contextualized the event by noting that the three flooding rivers—Ravi, Chenab, and Sutlej—were those ceded to India under the Indus Waters Treaty, and that the current massive releases of water from them have created an exceptional challenge for Pakistan’s downstream provinces.
