K-P flood ordeal continues

PESHAWAR: Authorities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have appealed to people living in areas near rivers to relocate to safer places in the wake of Saturday’s thunderstorms.  The meteorological department expects the downpours to continue for two more days in the province.

Provincial Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told reporters that water levels in Swat, Kabul and Panjkora rivers are on the rise and that the next 24 to 48 hours are crucial with chances of further flooding.

Met department

A meteorological department official told The Express Tribune that as the soil is saturated due to the heavy rains and floods, further rainfall will necessarily result in flooding. At the same time, he added, the flooding should be less severe compared to what the province has already suffered.

The official added that rain fell all over the province, including Peshawar, Chitral, Dir, Parachinar, Dera Ismail Khan and Balakot.

Damages

Hussain said that the water level in River Bara is on the rise with a flow of 27,000 cusecs and that 926 people in K-P have died, 839 are injured and 856,168 have been rendered homeless.

According to the information provided by the minister, 468 villages and 194,000 houses, 486, 272 shops, 244 bridges, 182 educational institutions, 132 health centres and 318 irrigation schemes have been destroyed.

The Dasu-Bisham section of the Karakoram Highway has been closed.

Relief effort

Rains are also hampering relief and rescue activities in K-P.

Flooding in River Panjkora in Dir district has stopped repair and reconstruction work on bridges in the area.

Torrential rains in Swat district also disrupted relief activities in the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2010.