Sutlej flooding renders thousands homeless in Vehari

Floodwater is rapidly approaching urban areas

VEHARI:

As Sutlej River continues to see high-level flood in Vehari district, several houses on Thursday were collapsed rendering thousands homeless and forcing others to evacuate their villages, while disconnecting and land routes of various settlements.

The flow of water is now rapidly approaching towards the urban areas.

The district administration besides rescuing those stranded in the deluge is providing adequate facilities at the tent villages and flood relief camps.

Two brothers were swept away by the rapid flow of water of whom one was rescued by the local people.

More than 150 villages and thousands of acres of standing crops had been deluged after a protective bund caved in. Mauza Bhattian and Qadir Bux bunds also developed breach.

The floodwater, causing havoc, entered mauzas Koda, Baqir Shah, Jatira, Mehro Baloch, Lakha, Khachi, Rafiq Tajwana, Fateh Shah, Basti Piranwali, Mughla, Palah, Sharifa, Tiwana, Nawaz Shah, Saldira Hatthar, 39 KB, Murad Ali, Naimat Ali, Fatehpur, Urwati, Ghauspur, Ganeshpur, Muradpur, Qutbpur and others.

Several houses in these mauzas have been destroyed and valuable good swept away whereas and men and women along with children are stranded in the floodwater.

There are numerous areas where relief activities could not be started by the district administration and people are living under open sky without any help.

The district administration has set up tents for flood victims at three locations, claiming that more than 4,000 people have been evacuated.

Read also: Vehari braces for Sutlej flooding

The floodwater is rapidly flowing towards urban areas of Sahoka, Kalia Shah, Hassan Shah, and others. A massive deluge of water will again hit Headworks Islam on Thursday after which more destruction is feared.

In Bahawalnagar district, a high-level flood at Head Sulaimanki is reported, where several temporary bunds and roads have caved in and land routes to more than 80 villages cut off.

Meanwhile, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesperson maintained that a total of 583 villages had been affected by flooding in Sutlej River.

He said 966 rescue workers had been working in the affected districts and 92 medical camps were set up there.

Giving the details, the PDMA spokesperson mentioned that 56,560 people stranded in the floodwater had been rescued on emergency basis.

He said cooked food had been distributed among around 58,757 people so far and that more than 18,371 victims were evacuated to safe places.

The PDMA spokesperson stated that monsoon system was expected to continue till August 27.

He said rain was projected in upper areas of all major rivers, adding that the flow of water in Sutlej River was likely to rise because of downpours.