Man swept away in Dera Ghazi Khan flash flood

More than 500 evacuated from Tribal Areas.

MULTAN:

A man was swept away in a hill torrent near his house in the Tribal Area of Dera Ghazi Khan on Saturday.

Other residents of Fazila Kacha area in Wadoor Bela, including deceased Kareem Baksh’s family, were rescued in time.

Hill torrents flowing at more than 13,000 cusecs have affected Wadoor Bela, Noor Wah, Pati Zayi, Pati Tomi, Kocha Wadani, Chor Hatta, Kot Haibat, Pachaad, Dagar Chit, Ghadaayi Garbi, Chat Sarkani areas of Dera Ghazi Khan.

Crops over several hundred acres have been destroyed in these areas.

More than 500 people have been moved from these areas to public schools in safe parts of the district by Border Military Police and Baloch Levies in three days. The district administration says it had issued evacuation alerts in these areas 10 days ago. It says hill torrents are expected to last for several days.

The water level in River Indus at Chasma Barrage is 276000 cusecs, at Kala Bagh is 257000 cusecs and at Taunsa Barrage is 222,000 cusecs.

Earlier, Senior Advisor to the Chief Minister Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khosa had inspected dykes and embankments in several districts, including Dera Ghazi Khan. He had expressed satisfaction with the maintenance of these structures.

DCO Iftikhar Ali Sahu told The Express Tribune that arrangements were in place to deal with the flood. He said so far there was no emergency.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2012.