Naushehro Feroze hit hard

NAUSHEHRO FEROZE: Raging torrents have inflicted large-scale devastation in Naushehro Feroze, wiping out the kachcha area and affecting the lives of more than 50,000 people.

The Daily Express has learnt that 30,000 flood victims have moved to safer places with their relatives, while 15,000 have relocated to relief camps. The remaining flood victims have stayed back at the breach-threatened embankments.

Floodwaters have also affected the districts of Jacobabad, Kashmore, Kandhkot, Thal, Shikarpur, Larkana and Dadu.

Manzoor Sheikh, chief engineer at Kotri Barrage, said that though the floodwaters appeared to have reached a peak, he refused to rule out the possibility of the torrents rising further.  “It is possible that it may rise even further,” Sheikh said, adding that his unit was closely monitoring the situation. According to him, the next 36 hours are going to be critical.

Jamshoro District Coordinating Officer Sami Siddiqui was more optimistic, saying  that the situation at Kotri Barrage was completely under control. He admitted that some embankments had developed leakages but insisted that these were repaired immediately.

According to the meteorological department, the River Indus at Kotri  is likely to maintain an exceptionally high flood level ranging between 938,000 to 950,000 cusecs during the next 24 hours.

“The inundation is expected at low-lying areas of Sajawal, Mirpur Bataro, Mirpur Sakro, Jhang Shahi, Allah Rakhio, Shadadkot , Jamshoro, Matiari, Makaro, Keti Bander, Shahbander in  Thatta and Hyderabad districts  along the river bed,” it said in a statement.

According to the Kotri Barrage control room, water was flowing at the rate of 938,438 cusecs upstream and 916,033 cusecs downstream at 9pm on Wednesday. Water continued to recede at Sukkur Barrage which stood at 700,195 cusecs upstream and 656,795 cusecs downstream. At Guddu, the flow was recorded at 674,769 cusecs upstream and 664,427 cusecs downstream.

In Thatta, EDO Revenue Thatta Nasir Abbas Soomro said that the kachcha areas of the district are completely under water.

“Floodwater is expected to stay for 10 days in Thatta and all the embankments are being monitored continuously,” Soomro said. He said all agricultural embankments developed on the route of the river have been broken and the sea is “accepting” the water. If this continues, the situation will normalise soon, he added.

Flood forecast in Ravi

A flood warning has been issued for River Ravi and its adjacent streams and nullahs for the next 24 hours. It is also forecasted that low-lying areas of Narowal and Sialkot could be inundated.

However, India has not yet issued a flood forecast in Sutlej and Ravi and it may divert the additional floodwater from these rivers towards Pakistan, the metrological department said.

Local authorities have been directed to take precautionary measures – and those residing in the vicinity of riverbeds, especially in the kachcha areas, have been asked to evacuate.

Balochistan

In Balochistan, floods have hit Jaffarabad area again. The new torrent from the Tori Bund in Sindh is expected to prolong the flood situation in Dera Allahyar and adjoining areas.

In Gandakha and the Thar Canal areas, authorities worked to evacuate more than 3,000 people in the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2010.