Cases against 44 for 10,000 breaking dykes

DPO DG Khan told that these cases had been registered in Kalaa, Sadar and Wahwa police stations.

A total of 44 people have been booked in four cases registered in Dera Ghazi Khan and one in Rajanpur for demolishing safety barriers to divert flood water.

Muhammad Kashif Kanju, the district police officer (DPO) Dera Ghazi Khan, told The Express Tribune on Wednesday that these cases had been registered in Kalaa, Sadar and Wahwa police stations.

He said that they were still receiving complaints about people knocking down dykes in an attempt to divert the flood water and prevent their land from inundation.

The first such case was registered against Peer Jaffar, Muhammad Adnan and several unidentified people in Sadar police station on Tuesday after a large number of Jampur residents surrounded Ehsanuddin Qureshi, a provincial minister, at Civil Hospital chowk, in protest against the demolition of Guddanwala bund in Jampur. The protesters refused to let go of him and only dispersed after the provincial minister assured them that strict action would be taken against those involved in damaging safety barriers for private gains.

Kashif Kanju said that following the regional police officer’s (RPO) orders he has already directed all SHOs to take immediate action against those involved in such acts.

Ahmed Mubarak Ahmed, the RPO had been prompted by the Home Department to act against the incidents following Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s visit to the areas.

Six drown as another flood wave reaches Guddu

Six people drowned in flood water on Wednesday in the Kotlan Mughlan area of Rajanpur district. According to an estimate, more than 1,500 people are stranded in Kotlan Mughlan’s Moza Heru.

After passing through Jampur, Mathan Kot and Rojhan, a 900,000 cusec flood wave on Wednesday reached Guddu Barrage. The breach in Rajanpur’s Kadera Canal, which remains unrepaired since two days, could cause the flood water to enter Rajanpur city. The water level at the Super Nur Band in Shehr Sultan is increasing owing to a fresh flood wave in the River Indus. The flood water, which has already reached as far as the GT Road, can inundate several settlements in the area.

No rescue team has reached Rohianwali or Shehr Sultan so far and the residents have started evacuating the region themselves. People trapped in Rojhan, Bangla Acha, Sun Miani and the surrounding areas have also not received food and other relief goods yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2010.