The floodwaters began to submerge dozens of riverine villages in Sindh by Friday in the districts of Sukkur and Larkana divisions.
The Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro has anticipated discharge of between 700,000 cusecs to 800,000 cusecs flood in the Indus river, which is high enough to inundate riverine villages in the province.
Talking to the media at Guddu barrage in Kashmore-Kandhkot district on Friday, he said that the provincial government has prepared to cope with a high flood.
He, nevertheless, expressed hope that the torrent will pass through safely without affecting any areas outside the riverbed in Sindh. According to the assessment of the irrigation authorities, flood water will enter Sindh by September 2 to September 3 at the Guddu Barrage, which is the first of the three barrages in the province before the river meets the sea.
"There is no reason to fear the flood provided it doesn't rain," Shoro cautioned. He claimed that all protective embankments of the river in Sindh are strong enough to sustain the approaching flood. He informed that the capacities of the Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages were 1.2 million, 960,000 and 870,000, respectively. The minister said a drop in flood level in Chenab River is a welcome sign.
On Friday the flood level at Guddu was recorded at 396,000 cusecs while the discharge was 284,970 at Sukkur and 253,126 at Kotri. The irrigation minister, who was accompanied by provincial ministers Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Mukesh Chawla, said the dwellers of the riverine areas have been requested to vacate their villages to the mainland.
However, he acknowledged, the people are still reluctant to relocate. The flood water, however, began to submerge dozens of riverine villages in Sindh by Friday in the districts of Sukkur and Larkana divisions. Shah expressed hope that flood will pass safely through Sindh while Chawla viewed the next 24 hours as crucial.
Separately, the provincial Auqaf minister Syed Riaz Hussain Shah Shirazi told the media at Kotri barrage on Friday that the residents of the riverbed villages downstream Kotri will have to evacuate if up to 500,000 cusecs of water reached the barrage. According to him, 2010 and 2015 like flood situations are coming back in the province.
He pointed out that although flood torrent from Punjab will hit Guddu by September 2 to September 3, the deluge will take up to seven to eight days to flow down towards Kotri after passing through the Sukkur barrage. He claimed that arrangements have been made to provide relief to the people if they are compelled to leave their homes in the riverine villages to safety.
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