Over 23,000 residents evacuated as Sutlej roars

LAHORE/CHISTIAN:

A "very high flood level” in Sutlej River on Sunday compelled the authorities to step up their evacuation measures in various areas of the Punjab province.

Lahore Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa said 23,364 people had been transferred from Sutlej’s flood-hit areas and moved to safe places.

He added that 15,800 cattle have been moved from the flood-hit areas to safe locations using rafts.

The official said villages in Kasur and Chunian tehsils had been affected by the Sutlej River flood.

The commissioner pointed out that eight police posts had been established to protect the 15 villages evacuated under Section 144,

He continued that 22,000 ration boxes had been distributed among flood-hit people in the third phase of the relief efforts.

A day earlier, hundreds of families from more than 70 villages in Kasur and Chunian were shifted to safe locations a day earlier as Sutlej River rose to an “extremely high level” at the point of Ganda Singh Wala Barrage.

Read also: Sutlej breaks record for water flows in 35 years

On Saturday, the Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) said the water level in the river at Ganda Singh Wala Barrage had declined to “very high”.

Similarly, it added that three was a high level flood at Sulemanki Headworks.

In a statement, the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said the water level in Sutlej at Ganda Singh Wala Barrage was decreasing whereas it was continuously rising at Sulemanki Headworks.

It continued that the flow was “normal” at Islam Headworks.

The authority said the low-lying areas of Kasur, Okara, Pakpattan, Vehari, Bahawalnagar, Multan and Lodhran were facing floods and the administrations in these areas had been put on high alert.

“Arrangements for setting up flood relief centres in these areas have been completed while evacuations are under way,” the statement read.

The PDMA earlier issued a statement, warning that over 50 places in the Okara district were likely to be hit by floodwater.

Read: Sutlej in ‘very high flood’

The authority continued that 36 boats had been provided to relevant authorities for evacuations from the area. It added that nearly 1,400 residents of the area had been transferred to safe locations in the past 24 hours.

The statement read that the PDMA was also fully cooperating with the relevant authorities in shifting cattle to safe places as well.

It added that 30,448 acres in the area were expected to be affected by the flood.

In a related development, Bahawalnagar Deputy Commissioner Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhoon visited Mari Mian Sahib, Bhukan Patan and other areas likely to be affected by the flood and inspected the relief camp set up by the district administration.

He inspected the stalls of health and other departments at the relief camp.

The deputy commissioner also reviewed the evacuation efforts, food for the displaced residents and fodder for their livestock.

On the occasion, the relevant departments gave a detailed briefing to the deputy commissioner on their emergency plans for the expected flood.

The Bahawalnagar district administration has issued a high alert of flood warning in Sutlej River.

It has also issued instructions to the people living on the banks of the river to relocate to safe places and relief camps immediately.

(With input from agencies)