ISLAMABAD (a1tv News) The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday forecast three more severe monsoon spells and warned that the intensity of rainfall would be 50 percent higher than before which would enhance risk of urban flooding including in Lahore and Rawalpindi.
The fear of harsh weather was expressed here by NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider during a press briefing on the damages caused by rain and flooding. He confirmed 313 deaths due to torrential rains in Buner, Bajaur, and Battagram, while flash floods and tourist accidents in Gilgit-Baltistan have enhanced the number above 400.
Search operations to find missing persons were going on, he added.
General Inam said that several communities in Gilgit and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been cut off from the rest of the country after land sliding damaged roads. Relief supplies and food would be provided to the people in the affected districts, he continued.
He quoted Pakistan Met Department forecast for more rainfall from August 17 to 22 which could cause urban flooding in cities such as Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala.
General Inam noted that due to intense summer heat, the severity of monsoon has increased and it would continue until the first ten days of September with 50 percent increased ferocity.
He said a survey would be conducted on the instructions of Prime Minister to assess damage, with priority to restoring communications infrastructure. From tomorrow, relief packages would be delivered to districts with the highest casualties, he maintained.
The NDMA chairman said that the losses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are part of the broader impacts of climate change, and the nation has to collectively face these challenges. After the monsoon spell is over, infrastructure rehabilitation will be carried out in collaboration with the Ministries of Communications and Housing. The focus in the next two weeks will be on northern Punjab, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
NDMA Technical Expert Dr Tayyab Shah stated that the current monsoon spell would continue until August 22, but with more intensity. Another monsoon system would likely generate after August 22 and three additional systems have been moving toward Pakistan.
One new system, emanating from the Bay of Bengal, and another from the Nangarhar and Kandahar regions of Afghanistan have been moving towards Pakistan, he added.
NDMA General Manager Zahra Hassan said that a heavy rainfall is expected in the next 24 to 48 hours. Currently, 98 percent of Tarbela Dam is filled, and there could be a dangerous rise in water levels during this period.
She stated that water levels have risen by up to 15 feet in Kattarian and Gawalmandi. A new spell of rainfall has already started in areas along the Sulaiman mountain range. Flood risks have increased in Neelum, Poonch, and Bagh districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. There are higher flood risks in Peshawar, Chitral, Dir, and Charsadda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, she added.
Brigadier Kamran, NDMA Member Operations, stated that preparations for the monsoon began in February 2025, and preventive measures were taken in coordination with provincial governments. However, the recent destruction in Buner and Bajaur occurred due to a cloudburst.
He said that 337 people have died and 178 have been injured in the past two days.
Brigadier Kamran said that the Army and Frontier Corps (FC) have been providing resources to provincial governments for rescue operations. A second batch of relief goods from the federal government would be dispatched to Buner tomorrow.
