President, PM direct aid towards the needy

Relief agencies were directed to reach every affected person with food rations as more monsoon rains are expected.

ISLAMABAD: Top political leaders on Friday directed national relief agencies to reach every affected person with food rations and water as the meteorological department warned of more monsoon rains in the catchment areas of eastern rivers.

At a meeting here on Friday with his political aides and rescue operators, President Asif Ali Zardari said no one should be left without food, clean drinking water, clothes and shelters. Separately, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani visited the headquarters of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and directed the authorities to rush relief to the flood-victims.

Also, an official of the  meteorological department told media that all the water reservoirs inside Pakistan and in the border areas of India are filled at the optimum level and any more rains would force authorities to resort to heavy discharge from them. “This,” he added, “can complicate situation in Ravi, Sutlej and Bias.”

According to a latest statement issued by the met office, heavy rains are expected in upper parts of the country — Kashmir, Punjab and Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa — for Saturday and Sunday whereas a warning issued on Friday afternoon said River Indus at Guddu is likely to attain exceptionally high flood ranging between 900,000 cusecs to 1,000,000 cusecs on Friday evening and Saturday. As a result, inundation and flooding of low-lying areas of districts Khairpur, Jacobabad, Ghotki and Sukkur are expected. Sukkur, Larkana, Nawabshah, Hyderabad and Nausheroferoze districts are likely to be inundated by the new flood torrent as well.

The department has also said that flooding in the eastern rivers is likely in the next few days. “All the eastern rivers and their dams in Pakistan as well as in India are almost full to their capacity,” the statement said. During the next three-four weeks of the monsoon season, heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej is quite probable that may generate floods in these rivers.

Water level in Indus at Kotri is however receding and is likely to attain a low to medium flood level ranging between 200,000 to 400,000 cusecs between Friday and Sunday which may still lead to the inundation of low-lying areas of Hyderabad and Thatta.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2010.