Flood batters Balochistan

QUETTA / SUKKUR: Hundreds of villages have been washed away in Dera Allahyar and Rojhan Jamali by floodwaters, while thousands of people are marooned, seeking the government’s help.

Fresh flash floods have destroyed 400,000 houses in Dera Allahyar and Rojhan Jamali district, hometown of former prime minister Mir Zafrullah Khan Jamali, as well as other areas nearby.

“At least 10 people have lost their lives, whereas 300,000 people are affected,” Naseerabad Commissioner Sher Khan Bazai told journalists. “If the bypass had been breached, the floods would not have hit Dera Allahyar so badly. But because of political pressure the National Highway Authority (NHA) did not give the permission to do so,” he added.

Surging waves are now moving towards Usta Muhammad and Ghandakha, officials said. Train services and road communications remained suspended between Jaffarabad and the rest of the country for the  second consecutive day on Sunday. Trains were not able to chug out of the Quetta railway station.

Bazai said that the floods have caused more problems in relief operations. “Around 600,000 people from Sindh have taken shelter in Sibi, Dera Murad Jamali and Quetta,” he said.

The commissioner conceded that there was a scarcity of tents forcing many people to live under open skies on main highways and on roads.

Meanwhile, floods reached Jacobabad city after 95 per cent of the residents had moved to safer places. The telephone exchange in Jacobabad was inundated, breaking the city’s communications link to the rest of the country.

Reports said that floodwater is touching the walls of the Shahbaz airbase in Jacobabad and all-out measures are being adopted to stop water from entering the base. Pakistani and US troops stationed there have been shifted to a safer location.

Floodwater has also inundated the Shikarpur-Jacobabad road and authorities have cut the railway track between the two cities to save Shikarpur city. However, it is reported that water has entered the Lodra grid station near Shikarpur, which supplies electricity to many cities and towns of Sindh and Balochistan.

Meanwhile, government officers and non-governmental organisations are facing problems in carrying out rescue and relief operations because of conflicting interests of political figures.

The Express Tribune has learnt that Sports Minister Aijaz Jakhrani wanted to cut the embankment of Noor Wah at Jacobabad bypass to stop water from entering Jacobabad city and Shahbaz airbase. But former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali had sent armed men to stop the authorities from cutting the embankment at Noor Wah, which would have diverted water into Balochistan. Irrigation officials said that the cut in Noor Wah will divert water towards Garhi Khairo and onwards to Qamber-Shahdadkot and finally into Manchar Lake. This way floodwaters will affect areas from Garhi Khairo to Manchar Lake.

Separately, Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower Khursheed Ahmed Shah is facing strong criticism from various quarters for not allowing a cut in the dyke of Ali Wahan near Rohri. Sources said that Shah just wanted to save farmlands belonging to him and his relatives. People in the area have expressed anger and resentment over this political game. On Sunday evening, up and downstream at Guddu Barrage was recorded 1,041,790 cusecs, while at Sukkur Barrage the upstream flow was 1,010,357 cusecs and downstream was 975,087 cusecs.

The metrological department on its website said the flood peak would last for two to three days at Guddu and Sukkur. It is feared that the second flood wave can create extreme pressure on Sukkur Barrage and other infrastructure in the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2010.