Thousands of people were affected in Takhta Baig, Khyber Agency, as the Budhni stream overflowed, flooding markets, villages and the main Charsadda road early on Tuesday morning.
Though the flood caused no property damage or human loss, residents and commuters alike were stranded for hours as floodwater filled Budhni Bridge, blocking all traffic. Many residents helped each other out of the water as district administration officials were not present on the scene to help rescue activities.
The Flood Warning Cell Peshawar said the floodwater that spilled from Budhni stream was recorded at 11,705 cusec.
Warsak Road, Pajaggi Road and Charsadda Road were the most affected as floodwater entered residential areas and markets. Locals travelling in and out of Peshawar also faced problems reaching their destinations. Residents complained that the district administration was not cooperative and said that the government had not given them prior warning.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesperson Adnan Khan said that rivers across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa maintained normal levels and only the Budhni stream recorded a medium-level flood yesterday morning. The PDMA spokesperson also said Kurram and Kalpani rivers in the south had low-level floods. He said that the Peshawar district administration will send a report on Wednesday on the damages and losses incurred by flashfloods across the province.
Scores hit in Jamrud
Heavy downpour also caused flooding in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency late Tuesday night, damaging over a dozen houses and hundreds of trees in the Ghundai area.
A political administration official said that Sakhi-Jamrud Road and the bridge connecting Ghundai and Malik Shaga villages were entirely washed away by the water. “Communication systems in most areas of the tehsil have collapsed due to the flood,” he said, adding that data compilation of the losses incurred would now take considerable time.
No human loss was reported, but an unidentified body was found in the floodwater.
The road leading to Jamrud, which was rebuilt after the 2010 floods, was destroyed again. Khasadar Forces Officer Nawab Shah Afridi said that the road is expected to reopen for traffic within the next two days.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2012.
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