DG Khan swamped by fresh deluge

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

Heavy rains lashing the Koh-e-Sulaiman range for the past many days have caused unprecedented destruction in the region.

Heavy rains on Koh-e-Sulaiman range have flooded the Rod Kohi irrigation channels carrying overflowing water from the hill torrents.

Heavy rains continue unabated in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur in the Koh-e-Sulaiman range.

Flash floods caused by rain destroyed the Bela bridge, submerging dozens of settlements.

The landslide near Fort Munro severed land connection between Balochistan and Punjab.

There are reports that traffic has been at a standstill for the last 72 hours.

Three children of a family were killed when roof of a house collapsed in Jhandi, a tribal area. They were identified as six-year-old Zahida, seven-year-old Muhammad Tahir Khan and eight-year-old Ubaid.

The administration has been put on high alert due to heavy rains lashing Dera Ghazi Khan and Koh-e-Sulaiman range, causing flash flood in the ravine areas.

A flash flood of more than 158,000 cusecs is passing by the city causing havoc in Rod Kohi Vidor. The flash flood in Rod Kohi Vidor, a ravine, has completely destroyed the Bela Vidor Bridge.

Due to the collapse of the bridge, the land connection of dozens of communities, including Bela, has been cut off from the rest of the country.

Authorities have broken Kachhi Canal to protect Dera Ghazi Khan from flood and diverted the water from three places to the plain areas.

Due to the release of the canal water in the plain areas, people started migrating from Basti Wadani, Basti Khosa, Basti Ghulam Farid, Habtani, Basti Khudabakhsh Hotani Siphon, Mauza Chit Dagar, Basti Buzdar, Tractor Factory and other areas.

Several areas of the district, including Baran, Mouza Chitdagar, Mouza Bela, Mouza Vidor, Union Council Mangrotha and Union Council Ahmadani are again facing the havocs of flash flood.

Intermittent rains can cause further flash floods in the water stream. In view of this situation, the residents of many areas are being shifted to safer places.

On the other hand, due to heavy rains, a landslide occurred at the point of Neeli Matti near Fort Munro, and land connection between Punjab and Balochistan has been cut off.

Hundreds of vehicles have been stranded on both sides of the road.

The Commandant of the Border Military Police, Ikram Malik, has called for heavy machinery to restore traffic on the inter-provincial highway, and efforts were being made to clear the road.

The PDMA has issued an alert for further rains and flash floods in the region.

Commissioner Muhammad Usman Anwar told The Express Tribune that so far 278 villages have been affected due to flood in the irrigation system (Rod Kohi), damaging 572,000 acres of land and damaging crops over an area of 198,000 acres.

He said that according to initial reports, more than 15,300 houses had been either completely or partially damaged, and more than 150,000 people displaced.

Fifty-seven health teams and mobile hospitals are working in the field to provide medical facilities to the victims. In addition 48 flood relief camps have been set up while more than 14,300 ration bags and more than 10,700 tents provided to the victims in the settlements in the area.

Deputy Commissioner Jameel Ahmed in Rajanpur district and Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Anwar Briar in Dera Ghazi Khan are personally supervising all relief operations.

Three meals a day, mineral water, milk and all necessary facilities are being provided to the flood victims. Officials said that as soon as the flood waters receded, all possible measures would be taken to resettle the victims in their homes.

Member of the Board of Revenue Zahid Akhtar Zaman visited the affected areas and assured the people of the area of provision of funds for rehabilitation of the victims.

Punjab Finance Minister Sardar Mohsin Khan Leghari has also reached the flood-hit areas of Rajanpur on a five-day visit and is personally monitoring the relief operations.

He said that carelessness in providing food, tents and other relief materials to the flood victims would not be tolerated.

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has ordered full assistance to the flood victims.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2022.