Heavy rains in Shabqadar hamper relief work

Power not restored on second consecutive day after grid station was flooded<br />

SHABQADAR: Most of the flood affected areas continued to face hardship as authorities failed to drain out water from Shabqadar. Making a bad situation worse, the entire area remained in darkness on the second straight day.

Owing to the rain and damaged roads, the area is now faced with food and water shortage.

Power supply remained suspended in the area on the second consecutive day after the heavy downpour flooded the Shabqadar grid station.

Expressing helplessness, PESCO officials said they could hardly do anything till the water was stagnant in the grid station.



Teshil Nazim Ghafar Shaikh claimed that he had sent suction machines to the grid station on Wednesday. In stark contrast, the grid station authorities said the powerhouse was still filled with water.

A local Jamaat-e-Islami activist Naveed Mohmand said that PESCO officials have turned down Town Municipal Administration’s help and have more or less become spectators in the situation, and none of their workers are trying to stop the water entering the grid station.

He said that the power suspension in the area was leading to water shortage and also hampering relief work.

PDMA was forced to stop relief work on Wednesday evening because of which the TMA failed to drain out water from many areas including Ghaziabad, Muhalla Fazal Rahem, Ataki Moran Korona and Pehalwan Qila. Most parts of the main bazaar have been cleared, though.

TMA officials also have established a control room for helping the affected people in town municipal committee building.

Locals also have complained that this was not a heavy flood but things got out of control because of TMA and irrigation department’s mismanagement.

Tehsil council member Maulana Rehmanullah complained that they lodged a complaint against flooding in Ghaziabad on Tuesday but instead of solving the issue TMA officials went on strike.



He said that the irrigation department failed to control floodwater entering from River Swat into canals.

Rehmanullah added that most of the main drains were encroached upon and no action had been taken by TMA or the irrigation department to dislodge the culprits.