SIALKOT: Federal Minister for National Regulation and Services Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said on Sunday that the federal government had devised a plan to save Bajwat villages from flooding in River Chenab.
Talking to the media at her office in Chak Koobay, she said funds had already been transferred to the provincial government for the purpose.
She said water from River Tavi had been flooding Bajwat villages, damaging crops on thousands of acres of land in these villages and killing a number of cattle, during monsoon season in the past.
Under the flood-fighting plan prepared by the federal government after consultation with the Pakistan Flood Commission, she said, it was decided that spurs would be constructed on the Tavi near Saidpur and Bajwat areas to divert flood water to Marala headworks.
Awan said the construction of these spurs would protect 85 villages in the area, and prevent thousands of people from losing their livelihoods.
The federal minister said she was monitoring the water level in the River Chenab along areas in her constituency.
She said water flow at Marala headworks near Sialkot had been recorded at 184,000 cubic feet per second (cusec) on the night between Saturday and Sunday.
Now, she added, the flow was receding.
The flow measured in River Chenab on Sunday afternoon was 96,000 cusecs at Marala headworks, 22,458 cusecs in Jammu Tavi and 6,284 cusecs at Munaawar Tavi near Saidpur and Bajwat area.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 6th, 2012.
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