Fear spreads among residents of low-lying areas

LAHORE: People living in the bed and along the banks of River Ravi have started stockpiling food after the City District Government of Lahore (CDGL) warned them to take precautionary measures, including evacuation, against a possible flood.

Sajjad Bhutta, the district coordination officer (DCO), last week served notices to the residents of the low-lying areas informing them “to prepare for any kind of a situation”. Though the water flow in the river remains at a safe level – 22,000 cusecs, the CDGL, fearing more downpours and a possible release of water from Thein Dam in India, directed the residents of the settlements on the river bed and along its banks to shift to safer locations.

Residents told The Express Tribune that they were watching the situation very closely. “We cannot move immediately, we have our cattle to look after,” said Anwar, a milkman residing in the Ravi bed. He said that he has gathered his cattle at one place and will relocate if water closes in.

There are several residential and industrial units in Farrukhabad area along Ravi’s bank. Residents, after receiving the warning notices, have started stockpiling food and other daily use items. They, too, have no immediate plans of relocation.

Maqsood Butt, a shopkeeper in Farrukhabad, said that people were storing wheat flour, pulses and other essentials. He said that people still have memories of the 1988 flood. “Though water got cleared in two days, there was no electricity and a severe shortage of food for two weeks,” Butt said.

Though warning notices have only been served to the residents of the river bed and of areas along its banks, people living further off are also concerned about the situation. Shabbir Ahmed, a Shahdara resident, said that he has started storing essential food items to deal with any kind of an emergency. “The rains so far have been very heavy and have frequently inundated our area,” he said.

Rana Muhamad Iqbal, an MPA from the Shahdara area, told The Express Tribune that he, in collaboration with the CDGL, had served notices in the low-lying areas including Kamran Park, Farrukhabad, and settlements near old Ravi Bridge. He said that there was no danger to Shahdara. Recalling the 1988 flood, Iqbal said that back then India had no dam on the Ravi, the situation was different now.

Flood Warning Centre:

According to the Flood Warning Centre, River Ravi is flowing as per routine and there is no immediate danger of floods. Department officials said that currently about 5,000 cusecs of water was flowing in the river from India while the remaining 15,000 cusecs from MR Link Canal. If water flow reaches 135,000 cusecs, the officials said, there would be a high level flood in the river requiring immediate evacuation of settlements in the bed and along the bank. They said that about 250,000 cusecs water can easily pass through the Shahdara Bridge.

The flood of 1988:

The water flow under the Shahdara Bridge reached 570,000 cusecs in 1988, the Flood Warning Centre officials stated.

They said that about 326,000 cusecs passed under the bridge, while the embankment had to be blown off to divert the rest of the water.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2010.