Pakistan’s biggest lake threatens to spill into densely populated cities

Islamabad, Sep 06: Water levels at Pakistan's largest freshwater lake remain dangerously high despite efforts to release water and spare nearby cities further flooding, according to officials. More flooding is expected in southern Pakistan, where Lake Manchar swelled from unprecedented monsoon rains that began in mid-June.

Authorities in flood-hit Pakistan strategically breached the country's largest freshwater lake on Sunday, a minister said, displacing up to 100,000 people from their homes but saving more densely populated areas from gathering flood water.

Record monsoon rains and melting glaciers in Pakistan's northern mountains have brought floods that have affected 33 million people and killed at least 1,290, including 453 children. The inundation, blamed on climate change, is still spreading.

Floods have inundated a third of the country with the southern province of Sindh and the southwestern region of Balochistan being the worst hit. Dadu district of Sindh was the latest to face the fury of nature as the water was rising due to a surge in the flow of water down the River Indus.

A total of 1,208 people have been killed by flash floods triggered by record monsoon rains across much of Pakistan, the NDMA said in a statement.

Officials said that 10,000 to 15,000 cusecs of water were being discharged from Manchhar Lake, which is used for water storage, into River Indus while 70,000 to 80,000 cusecs of water was flowing into the lake from the Main Nara Valley drain and FP Bund, a flood protective dyke.

The recent deluges are said to have submerged a third of the country.