News
High floods continue to cause devastations in Punjab
Water torrent heads towards Sindh, flood emergency declared in Nasirabad
INP
RAHIM YAR KHAN/MULTAN – Raging water torrent from river Chenab will enter Sindh passing through Rahim Yar Khan tonight as devastating floods inundated dozens of villages in Ali Pur Tehseel of Muzaffargarh on Tuesday.
According to reports, road link between Multan and Muzaffargarh could not be restored so far while flood victims from Shujaabad were facing great difficulties in receiving aid. According to Irrigation Department 430000 cusec water was passing trough Head Panjnad, devastating many villages. People from Shehr Sultan, Jatoi and Khan Gharh had moved to Relief Camps. Flooding in Indus River submerged five villages in Rajinpur.
The government had decided to breach dykes in order to avoid damages due to increasing water pressure in different areas. Dozens of villages have sunk due the breach created at Surki, Sikhani and Khangarh. Water level in river Sindh is rising constantly and the locals have continued to migrate. After the water level at river Chenab rose above 430,000 cusec, all the nearby areas totally submerged in water.
Water level at Chachara Sharif is 270, 529 cusec and is expected to rise. The water flow at Rahim Yar Khan is likely to mount up to 400,000 cusec whereas the breaches created between Qadirabad and Punjand Headworks at river Chenab have reduced the flow of water due to which 400,000 to 500,000 cusec water may flow through Guddu and Sukkur in river Indus in the next 48 hours.
Reports say the flood created destruction in Shujabad on a very large scale. Thousands of acres of land has been destroyed including the planted crops on these lands. Many people have been displaced from their homes while entire villages have been consumed by the floods, and these people have been forced to live in temporary abodes of refuge.
Water levels have also been rising at the Taunsa barrage, which has resulted in migration from that area. In some villages, communication on ground has been halted due to the flood damage. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), people and cattle have been shifted to secure places in order to avoid further damage. The Pakistan Army is also engaged in a flood relief operation within the flood-affected areas.
As water level is increasing at Guddu, people living in the Katcha areas in Kashmore, Kandhkot, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Khairpur, Naushero Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad and other districts along the Indus have been asked to shift to safer places or to the relief camps. On the other hand the district management has imposed flood emergency in Nasirabad district keeping in view the high floods in Indus River.
Officials said on Tuesday that leaves of all government employees have been cancelled and asked to immediately attend their duties. “We have made all arrangements to deal with any emergency situation if flash flood enters the district,” they said.
Meanwhile, officials in Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that they have provided emergency relief goods to the districts of eastern Balochistan including Nasirabad and Jaffarabad keeping in view the high flood in Indus River.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk