Sindh’s barrages under threat as water levels rise
SUKKUR:
Although breaches in Punjab have caused the flood waters to lose some intensity, water levels in the River Indus continue to rise. On Wednesday, officials recorded a flow of 274,122 cusecs at Guddu with more water expected over the next few days.
According to the Sindh irrigation minister, Jam Saifullah Dharejo, who addressed a press conference at Sukkur Barrage on Wednesday evening, flash floods carrying water between 800,000 and 900,000 cusecs are expected to pass through Guddu Barrage on August 5 and 6. The water will take another two to three days to reach Sukkur Barrage.
The minister denied reports of creating cuts in protective embankments and releasing water into uninhabited land in an effort to relieve pressure on Sukkur Barrage. Since the flood is already losing intensity, there is no need to take these measures, he said. According to officials, 800,000 cusecs of water will pass through Guddu Barrage, while not more than 700,000 cusecs of water will reach Sukkur Barrage.
‘No food at relief camps’
Meanwhile, some of the families that have moved from Katcha Bunder to a relief camp established in a school near Bunder Road complained that they have not been given any food since Tuesday. The families are forced to arrange for food themselves.
“They [administration] had told us that the relief camps would have food and medicines,” said Bebul Mirani and others in his family, adding that it was the authorities that had asked them to move out of their homes. They had not foreseen any danger living in their houses. “Now we are sitting here without food, water or medicines,” Mirani complained.
Abdu Mirani accused administration at the camp of taking away the food given to them and distributing it to their own relatives. The people for whom the food was meant were, meanwhile, sitting hungry. “I had to get haleem and chawal for my hungry family myself,” Abdul Mirani said angrily.
However, New Sukkur taluka administrator Yar Mohammad Junejo denied the allegations. “We are taking proper care of them [people at the camp]; these allegations are baseless.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 5th, 2010.
Although breaches in Punjab have caused the flood waters to lose some intensity, water levels in the River Indus continue to rise. On Wednesday, officials recorded a flow of 274,122 cusecs at Guddu with more water expected over the next few days.
According to the Sindh irrigation minister, Jam Saifullah Dharejo, who addressed a press conference at Sukkur Barrage on Wednesday evening, flash floods carrying water between 800,000 and 900,000 cusecs are expected to pass through Guddu Barrage on August 5 and 6. The water will take another two to three days to reach Sukkur Barrage.
The minister denied reports of creating cuts in protective embankments and releasing water into uninhabited land in an effort to relieve pressure on Sukkur Barrage. Since the flood is already losing intensity, there is no need to take these measures, he said. According to officials, 800,000 cusecs of water will pass through Guddu Barrage, while not more than 700,000 cusecs of water will reach Sukkur Barrage.
‘No food at relief camps’
Meanwhile, some of the families that have moved from Katcha Bunder to a relief camp established in a school near Bunder Road complained that they have not been given any food since Tuesday. The families are forced to arrange for food themselves.
“They [administration] had told us that the relief camps would have food and medicines,” said Bebul Mirani and others in his family, adding that it was the authorities that had asked them to move out of their homes. They had not foreseen any danger living in their houses. “Now we are sitting here without food, water or medicines,” Mirani complained.
Abdu Mirani accused administration at the camp of taking away the food given to them and distributing it to their own relatives. The people for whom the food was meant were, meanwhile, sitting hungry. “I had to get haleem and chawal for my hungry family myself,” Abdul Mirani said angrily.
However, New Sukkur taluka administrator Yar Mohammad Junejo denied the allegations. “We are taking proper care of them [people at the camp]; these allegations are baseless.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 5th, 2010.