Nature’s devastation: 7 killed as flood wreaks havoc in Rajanpur

Two women drowned while they were evacuating their home

BAHAWALPUR/ MULTAN:

At least seven people were killed in flood-related incidents in Rajanpur as 148 villages of the district were inundated on Friday.

Rajanpur DCO Zahoor Hussain Gujjar said 128,186 acres had been flooded. He said 30,000 people had been displaced, of which 14,390 people had been moved to safe places by the administration.

The DCO said 10 relief camps had been established for 1,026 persons. He said 8,715 people had been given medical treatment and 229,103 cattle was vaccinated.

He said district government officials had distributed 6,419 food hampers and 8,011 bottles of water.

The DCO said 38 boats had been deployed to evacuate stranded villagers. He said 14 non-government organisations had been working with the district administration for evacuation and relief.

He said water levels were rising at Taunsa Barrage and Kot Mithan.

He said various embankments, including Zamindara dyke in Daira Deen Panah and Mashoori Dyke in Kot Mithan, had been breached.

The DCO said water in River Sutlej and River Jhelum was receding.

In River Jhelum, inflow at Mangla Dam was recorded at 64,000 cusecs and 73,559 cusecs was recorded at Rasool.

Inflow at Balloki in River Ravi was 29,390 cusecs, 26,822 cusecs at Sidhani, 33,468 cusecs at Sulemanki in River Sutlej and 24,030 cusecs at Islam.

Two sisters were reported drowned in River Indus as they were evacuating their house in Rojhan.

Hundreds of houses were reported flooded near Thana Kandani in Alipur.

Sabiha, 13, died when the wall of her house collapsed on her.

A breach in a spur near police headquarters in Bait Maitla was reported late on Friday afternoon, after which crops over 10,000 acres were inundated.

District officials said Bait Qaim Shah, Bhindi Suleman Shah, Fateh Muhammad Abareind and Bait Chain Wala were being monitored.

Due to a breach in Dera Ghazi Khan Canal, Matwani Wala village, Basti Kalati, Faqeer Wali village and adjoining areas were inundated.

18-year-old Muzammil, a resident of Muzaffargarh, drowned in River Chanab where water levels had reached 32,000 cusecs at Chahoor in Nala Daik.

Water discharge recorded as 43,6000 cusecs at Tarbella Dam, 52,6241 cusecs at Taunsa, 121,855 cusecs at Trimu, 124,830 cusecs at Panjnad, 780,000 cusecs at Kot Mithan, 63,4750 cusecs at Guddu Barrage, 639,725 cusecs at Sukkar Barrage and 412,109 cusecs at Kotri Barrage.

The Finance Department released Rs100 million rupees for flood-affected areas. Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sarghoda, Chiniot, Multan, Khanewal, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sialkot, Khushaab, Rajanpur, Gujrat, Muzaffargarh, Layyah and Narowal.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2015.