80 villages in district Mehar submerged

SUKKUR\THATTA: Floodwaters from Shahdadkot district destroyed union councils Khan Jo Goth, Faridabad and Mangwani in district Mehar and submerged more than 80 villages.

In Damra Wah, the pressure of water near district Mehar increased due to some unrepaired leakages.  Mehar city and 100 villages have been declared sensitive because the flow of water over the Damra Wah is increasing. People of Mehar city and adjoining areas have started leaving for safer places, while the Mehar-Faridabad Link Road has been cut at some places suspending links between cities and 35 villages of Kachho.

Meanwhile, water is rushing towards Khairpur Nathan Shah. The only protection for the area is the five-foot high Khuda Wah embankment that may not be able to bear the pressure. Fear among residents has led 90 per cent of the population to evacuate the city. Pressure of water on the eastern side of the Warah city has also increased while the level of water has reached dangerous levels in the nearby Ghar Drain. Floodwater has engulfed another 18 villages and agricultural lands in Warah tehsil.

Meanwhile at Johi, supporters of MPA Imran Zafar Leghari and Minister of State Rafiq Ahmed Jamali had a dispute on the path the floodwaters should take. Armed men from both parties stood on both sides of the embankment. Leghari said that if the water is not allowed to flow at its natural course, Khairpur Nathan Shah will be completely devastated. Federal minister Pir Mazharul Haq said the waters would be made to flow at their natural path.

After a breach in Kot Almo embankment, coastal towns of Jati, Chuhar Jamali and adjoining villages are under threat. The government is making all-out efforts to prevent casualties in Jati.

Residents in the area said political interests have destroyed their towns and authorities have taken too much time in taking preventive measures to divert the water through agricultural fields. The breach at Kot Almo, which was initially six metres wide has now widened to 290 metres and is discharging 100,000 cusecs of water. Residents have started moving towards Badin but some people have stayed back to protect their homes.

Locals complained said that there were no vehicles to transport them and they were being charged too much. Meanwhile 95 per cent of Sujawal has been inundated and 2,000 people out of a population of 100,000 are left in to protect their houses.

Representative of the Disaster Management Authority Hadi Bux said efforts were being made to save Jati and water was being diverted towards Pinyari Canal.  Pinyari Canal embankments have not been checked for years owing to drought in this part of the province. There are fears that if the pressure of the water increases there maybe breaches in these embankments.

However, if Pinyari Canal sustains the water, then it will follow on its natural route towards the Arabian Sea and coastal towns of Jati and Shah Bandar will be saved. Meanwhile, tent cities are being made on the outskirts of Makli. Two hundred families will be accommodated in the area along with 60,000 animals. Health conditions are worsening among the displaced people and the stagnant water has caused severe eye infections.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 2^nd, 2010.