Millions move out as flood threatens Sindh

Flood torrents are battering the key Sukkur Barrage, threatening to further inundate large areas of Sindh. Upper Sindh is already under water, and two million people have fled the province as the Indus river threatens to burst its banks.

The water level in Guddu barrage reduced from 1.148 million cusecs to 1.087 million cusecs, while a 40- foot crack in the Nara Canal near Khuda Bakhsh village resulted in the inundation of three villages and many hectares of land. Ten houses also collapsed due to the flood water.

Five more villages were flooded after a breach in the Antar canal near Kandhkot and the Musa Allahabad canal.

Meanwhile, water flow into the Sukkur barrage reached 1,130,959 cusecs while the current outflow is outflow is 1,108,795 cusecs.

The army is on alert in Sindh to deal with any emergency situation in the wake of the flood warning.

Mirpur Khas, Khairpur, Nawabshah, Sanghar, Tando Alhiyar, Omar Kot and Thar Parkar are under threat following the release of 27,000 cusecs of water from the Nara Canal of Sukkur Barrage. Locals of these areas are moving to safe locations.

Meanwhile, the Kotri Barrage Irrigation Control Room reported that water level did not increase in the last 24 hours.

However, the Jamshoro bridge has been partly closed to traffic with vehicles allowed on only one side of the bridge.

The irrigation department predicts flash floods will pass through the Kotri Barrage during the night on Thursday. The shutdown will remain in place till the flood torrent has passed. Jamshoro bypass will be used as an alternative for traffic to and from Kotri.

No orders for blowing up dikes

Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah asserted that the Sindh government has not given any orders to take down dikes. The water pressure, however, has led to breaches in them.

Talking to media in Kandh Kot, Shah said no minister has the right to issue directives to blow up dykes.

He explained the water level entering Sindh is higher than expected. He said the losses from the floods are less than what was feared as the province had braced for the catastrophe well in advance.

The chief minister directed Sindh administration to take concrete steps to protect Kandh Kot city from devastation by floods.

Navy carries out rescue work

Pakistan Navy has rescued up to 7,000 people from the Kacha area in Interior Sindh. The navy spokesman said that rescue operations are currently underway in Interior Sindh and thousands of people are being shifted to safe places with the help of helicopters.

The relief work is being carried out by 60 boats, 60 motor boats, seven helicopters and two aircrafts. Meanwhile, the navy has demanded additional helicopters to help in the relief work.

Punjab Floods

Floodwater continues to hit Muzaffargarh, with thousands of those affected by the waters queuing up outside relief camps for food and other commodities.

The flood torrent of River Sindh is currently passing through the western areas of the district.

Meanwhile, some 800,000 cusecs of water originating from Head Chashma is heading towards Muzaffargarh and is likely to reach the area in the next 48 hours.

Locals have complained about the inadequacy of relief activities and a shortage of food and water while five people including two engineers of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited are feared to have been killed by a flood torrent in the rainy streams of Taunsa Sharif mountains.

A flood torrent that gushed through the Rod Kohi area also killed two engineers Abdul Hameed and Atta ur Rehman. Only one body has been retrieved so far.

Recent rains have also triggered a flood in the rainy streams of Suleman Mountain range. More than five hundred people are still trapped in the Noor Ahmed Wali and Khad Bazdar areas.

CM Punjab asks for relief

Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has urged the federal government to distribute foreign aid to flood affectees in relation to the devastation caused to the respective provinces.

Speaking at Rahim Yar Khan Airport, Shahbaz said the Rs25 billion demanded from the federal government would cover only emergency relief and that trillions would be needed for the rehabilitation of flood affectees.

The chief minister demanded that the country's wealth and resources that had been misappropriated by many should be taken from them and be distributed among flood victims.

Shahbaz said that if Prime Minister Gilani managed to do this, his name would be written in the annals of history.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa recovery

Charsadda DCO said on Tuesday that 53 people have been killed and 500,000 people have been affected by the devastating floods in the district.

Relief activities have been expedited as the weather has become clear.  Peshawar Corps Commander Asif Yasin Malik visited the flood affected areas in the district today.

Malik said that arrangements will be made for flood victims for the first 10 days of Ramazan. Water filtration plants are also being installed.

He said that all organisations are engaged in rehabilitation efforts. But the locals said that relief goods are not being distributed in remote areas.

Swat cut-off from the rest

Trapped in inundated areas and submerged houses, people of Swat wait for help, as land route of the district has been cut off with the rest of the country due to floods.

Locals of district Swat are facing severe problems, as land routes of Mingora city have not been restored with other areas of the district including Tehsil Kabal , Matta.

Army helicopters rescued 6,000 tourists from Kalam and shifted them to safer places. They also set up relief camps in different areas to provide food to the affectees.

Shangla, Swat, Upper Dir, Tank, Dera Ismail Khan and Charsadda have been the worse-hit areas in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Flooding in Balochistan

In Balochistan, flood water has destroyed a safety dyke which was constructed for safeguarding Suhbatpur city of Jaffarabad district.

The city is now under threat as the water is heading towards it and the people are trying to divert the water flow on their own, while the floods have destroyed nearly 300 houses and 170 shops in Harnai district.

The flood victims even surrounded the Deputy Commissioner’s office and protested against the administration's failure in providing relief.

So far the flood torrent has submerged 80 villages and swept away roads and bridges in various areas of Dukki sub-division.