COAS visits Thatta relief camp

The COAS directed army officials to provide one month rations and tents to every returning family in Makli.

DADU: Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani on Monday promised to help the flood victims, till they are fully rehabilitated.

The COAS made the statement during his visit to a flood relief camp, set up by the army in Makli area of Thatta. During his visit, he distributed Eid gifts among the flood victims. He also appreciated the services of the army and directed its officials to provide one month rations and tents to every returning family.

Later, Kayani also visited relief camps in the flood hit areas of Dera Murad Jamali in Balochistan.

Water level rises in Manchar Lake

Machni City has been flooded near Dadu while water has reached alarming levels at Manchar Lake.

Water at Manchar Lake crossed dangerous levels putting immense pressure on the MNV Drain in Dadu. The subsequent flooding inundated Machni city and over 50 villages were flooded in Chani and Mehar areas.

Floods are threatening various areas of Dadu while Sehwan city is the latest in line, following the overflow of Manchar Lake.

Tens of thousands of people have fled from their homes in the Dadu district of Sindh, and officials said more were asked to leave.

"Our entire concentration is now on Dadu district as the water is just a few inches from overtopping the Manchar Lake that could threaten many towns," Additional Relief Commissioner, Riaz Ahmed Soomro, told Reuters.

Officials said several towns around the lake including Bhon and Jhingira are in danger of inundation, threatening an estimated 250,000 people.

"All my seven brothers and their families are now dependent on me as they are all farmers and floods have washed away their lands and crops," said Abdul Ghani, a school teacher, whose village, upstream from Manchar Lake has already flooded.

Given the intensity of the situation at MNV Drain, Pakistan Army has been directed to handle the situation.

The water inflow at Manchar Lake through MNV Drain is 35,000 cusecs while outflow is only between 8,000 and 9,000 cusecs.

Earlier, people of the area were happy with fresh water from the River Indus entering Manchar Lake for the first time since 1990, as contaminated water from the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) had poisoned the 233-square-kilometre lake for a long time.