Monsoon: 24 villages affected by River Chenab flood

Flow near Marala 143,849 cusecs on Thursday.

GUJRANWALA:

At least 24 villages in Gujranwala, Wazirabad and Sialkot were flooded with water from River Chenab on Wednesday. 

Of these, 17 villages were flooded near Marala, four with water from Aik and Palkho streams in Wazirabad and three with water from Daek stream in Pasrur.

Crops on hundreds of acres have been affected by flood in these villages.

The district administration has imposed an emergency in the areas along the banks of River Chenab and banned boating in the river.

Flow of water in River Chenab was 143,849 cubic feet per second (cusec) at Marala on Thursday.

In Hafizabad, the district administration is observing the situation in Kot Saleem and Pir Kot.

Both villages are located along the river bank but have so far not been threatened by the flood in the river.

As many as 166 villages in Hafizabad are listed as vulnerable in case of a high-level flood in River Chenab. The district administration has set up nine flood relief camps to monitor water levels near these villages.

The district administration said the river was in a medium flood. It said there a high-level flood was unlikely as the flow was receding. DCO Muhammad Asif visited the affected village and supervised the rescue work.

River erosion

As many as 16 houses collapsed in a Hafizabad village on Thursday from erosion by the flooded river. District administration and Rescue teams helped move trhe villagers to a flood relief camp.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2012.