Diseases, looting add to misery of floods

The flood threat at Muzaffargarh was averted on Thursday as the authorities plugged all breaches in the Tuhairy canal which was threatening the region earlier.

As a result a torrent of 754,000 cusecs of water entered the Rohelanwali area instead and will hit Sindh after crossing Alipur, Jatoi and Rahim Yar Khan.

Another flood torrent of 773,000 cusecs is currently passing through Taunsa Barrage. The flood water has submerged Jampur area again and thousand of people have been confined to their houses in Dewanpur.

Moreover locals in these flood-hit areas are suffering due to sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities of life.

Flooding in River Chenab has caused Shujabad, Jalalpur Pir Wala, Nawab and dozens of other areas in Southern Punjab to be submerged. Villages near Multan have also been inundated.

Water in River Chenab is in full flow and has been recorded at 307,000 cusecs at Panjnad Headworks. Given the current situation, gates of Panjnad Headworks have been opened.

Thousands displaced in Rahim Yar Khan

In Rahim Yar Khan, the local administration broke a dyke in the Kot Sabzal area to save the KLP road. Government officials and locals have also made temporary dykes for the same purpose.

Thousands of people have been displaced so far in the district while crops spreading over thousands of acres have been destroyed.

During his visit to the flood-hit areas in Rahim Yar Khan, Senior Minister Punjab Raja Riaz said the breach in the dyke near Bhong city will be filled within next three days.

Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif said that he has appealed to the federal government to provide Rs 25 billion in aid for flood affectees but no federal minister has been contacted in this regard.

He said people are unnecessarily politicising the issue while flood victims facing great difficulties.

Sharif urged the nation to step forward and help the affectees bearing the brunt of the flood disaster. He added that the local administration has been directed to provide full assistance in the affected areas.

Spreading diseases

Scores of flood victims taking refuge at relief camps in Dera Ghazi Khan, Taunsa and Jampur have fallen victim to gastroenteritis.

The biggest fear is that water-borne diseases, like acute diarrhea, will catch on as people are being forced to drink contaminated water.

Wells, streams and springs have been contaminated, as has ground water. People are forced to drink from stagnant pools, contaminated by human waste and dead animals.

Unicef, the world’s leading children’s organisation, has warned that without further increase in funds for children in Pakistan, the threat of disease and food crisis would increase.

The US is providing $3 million to World Health Organisation (WHO) for the expansion of the Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) nationwide and to establish the first 15 treatment centers for water-borne illness, located in high risk flood-affected areas.

To help curb the spread of illness, the US is also distributing hand soap and has provided mobile water treatment units that can provide clean drinking water for 10,000 people a day.

Additionally, the US is working with the humanitarian community to promote health and hygiene messages in some of the most affected areas.

The messages, which include advice on preventing waterborne diseases through proper hand washing, are being broadcast on radio stations and are being reinforced by hygiene workers who are going door-to-door in the affected areas.

Large-scale flood expected at Kotri

The Irrigation Control Room monitoring the floods in Sindh said Friday that half of the city of Sukkur is without drinking water.

The control room also said the Barrage at Sukkur is currently holding back 1.083 million cusecs of water, while the barrage at Kotri has to cope with 2.014 million cusecs of water.

The Army has been deployed near the Sukkur and Guddu barrages while local people are still trying to get to higher ground.

A large scale flood is expected to arrive at Kotri on Sunday and Monday.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said water flow will not exceed beyond one million cusecs in the Guddu Barrage.

Talking to the media in Sukkur, the chief minister said the government is trying its best to avoid losses due to any potential damage to the barrage. He said the top priority of the government is the relief and rehabilitation of the flood-affected people.

Floodwater from Begari canal entered Bahadarpur, Karim Bux, Madadpur and Purana Jangu areas. The historical area of Bakhri and 15 villages in Kacha were also submerged due to recent flood.

Thousand of flood victims have started relocating to Sukkur to seek shelter.

The outbreak of Gastroenteritis has been reported among the people residing near the BS Feeder of Ghouspur. The epidemic has already killed two people, while 30 others are still suffering.

Sindh Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman said that a flood torrent is heading towards Jacobabad. Addressing the media in Karachi, he said that a flood is also heading towards Shikarpur.

He said that relief camps have been set up in Karachi, Hyderabad and Jamshoro for the victims of floods.

Rehman said that flood water has washed away the Ghauspur and Karampur areas of Kashmore. He said 1,800,000 people have been affected due to floods in five districts of Sindh.

Navy continues rescue operations

Joint relief efforts involving helicopters, hovercrafts, boats and diving teams of Pakistan Navy  are in progress in flood affected areas of Sindh under operation "Madad."

Till now, rescue teams have evacuated a total of 58,000 people from Sukkur, Rohri Panu Aqil, Ghotki, Khairpur, Kandhkot, Shikarpur and various other places to safer locations, and provided 28,000 kg food and relief goods to flood victims through helicopters.

During last 24 hours, the number of rescued persons remained 5,500, which also includes 500 people evacuated by two Navy hovercrafts conducting long range rescue operations in Kahndhkot and Sukkur areas.

Navy helicopters also air-dropped 2,500 kg of food in Khairpur area.

Four additional search and rescue teams along with requisite equipment have also been dispatched to Sukkur to augment search and rescue efforts.

Looters exploit flood misery

In the village of Karampur outside the city of Sukkur, local residents waded through stagnant flood waters up to their chest, retrieving valuables and lashing out at the government for failing to protect them from looters.

Some villagers said that they preferred to guard their flooded homes while sending their wives and children to safety. Others said they had been looted while trying to flee during chaotic scenes.

"There was nobody to rescue us from the floods and now there's nobody to save us from bandits. We were waiting for help when armed men came and seized our belongings at gunpoint," said Abdul Karim. "There was not so much. Two goats and some wheat and rice. They snatched it all and escaped."

A mother other of five, Mai Meema, 60, said "we left with our belongings in a tractor when armed men surrounded us. They snatched everything and fled. We were poor people but never slept on an empty stomach. This flood has made us beggars. We have nothing at all. They deserve God's curse. Instead of helping us, these criminals looted us.”