That time of the year: Flood warning issued for eleven districts

Next two days crucial for districts along River Chenab

DERA GHAZI KHAN/MULTAN: The provincial government has issued a flood warning for 11 cities in the province – Gujrat, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sargodha, Jhang, Chiniot, Faisalabad, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Khanewal, Multan, Lodhran, Rajanpur, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan. Districts along River Chenab at Khanki and Qadirabad have been issued a high alert for flash floods.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) sent DCOs of 11 districts the warning on Tuesday. They were requested to take stringent measures and keep a check on water levels in their areas for the next two days. Flow of water at River Chenab at Khanki could peak at 410,00 cusecs on Tuesday-Wednesday, the warning says. River Chenab at Qadirabad could also record a flood peak between 380,000 and 410, 000 cusecs on Tuesday-Wednesday.

The Multan district government called a meeting of all departments on Tuesday to finalise preventive measures. They decided to start evacuating people residing in the river belt.

DCO Nadir Chattha has asked the police to help officials in effecting a smooth evacuation. “There has been resistance from people living in the belt…most of them are reluctant because they would have to move a lot of cattle as well.”

He said they had used the mosque PA system to announce the flood alert.

Chattha said a possible flash flood – 380,000 cusecs of water – would pass through the river at Multan in the next three days. He said there was no immediate threat to the city. “We have ensured the availability of food, boats, life jackets and lifesaving drugs at flood relief camps.”

He said he had inspected flood protection dykes.

In Dera Ghazi Khan, district government officers said 52,000 cusecs of water passing at the Suri Lund water channel on Tuesday had broken off a 300-ft long patch of the bank.

XEN Chaudhry Zahid Rafique, the officer in charge of patching up the Suri Lund bank, said that the bank of the flood channel had earlier broken off at several points. Almost 37,500-ft of the Suri Lund water channel bank has been patched up, he said. “Work is underway and the 300-ft long patch will be repaired soon.”

He said there had been no reports of agricultural losses from villages along the water channel. The Suri Lund water channel can hold up to 21,000 cusecs. Nearly 35,000 cusecs of water on average had passed through the channel for the last four days. The highest recorded level was 54,000 cusecs, Rafique said.

“However, crops in Notak Sikhani, Shaklati, Nasirwala, Hoot, Khalifa, Gaadi, Khosa, Bhatti Itra, Walaye wala, Laang, Nithwani, Haudry Mahajar, Tanwari, Gorchani, Mardi, Makri, Makol Chohan are safe.”

He said the Irrigation Department would b   `e on high alert for the next 24 hours and will keep an eye on the flood situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2016.