Floodwaters inundate 85 more villages

DADU: The floodwaters continued to pile misery on people since the breaching of Tori embankment, inundating 85 more villages in Johi, Dadu, and Khairpur Nathan Shah.

The Indus is still in peak flood at Kotri Barrage. According to the irrigation department’s control room, the inflow at the barrage was recorded at 733,293 cusecs while the outflow was noted at 722,698 cusecs.

In Thatta, however, the water level receded at Minarki Bund. The flood torrents have swept 50 villages in Dadu district while 15 more villages were submerged in Khairpur Nathan Shah after the water level surged in the city.

The devastation happened a day after three breaches  occurred in the Main Nara Valley (MNV) drain.

The water has meandered into various areas, trapping thousands of people. Important roads of Mehar, KN Shah and Johi are under 4-foot deep water, cutting off the communication of these towns with the rest of the province. Under Sindh chief minister’s directives, last warning has been issued for Mehar city residents to evacuate.

On Thursday, there were warnings that massive flood tides, surging from Shahdad Kot were heading towards Khairpur Nathan Shah and another flood torrent through breaches of MNV Drain was raging towards Khanpur and the Indus Highway.

The floods have hit 12 villages while water is only two kilometres away from Johi. Floodwater has also swept into 10 villages in Kali Mori area near Johi.

People have started shifting to safer places but many of them are stuck in the area due to non-avialability of transport. On the Indus highway a grid station and 50 villages near the town have been severely affected.

Following a breach in the Kot Almo dyke, floodwaters are headed towards Chohar Jamali after inundating Jati and Sujawal.

Chohar Jamali is facing a serious threat of flood, and 60 per cent of the town’s population has moved to safer places.

Army engineering corps is working on the Kot Almo breach to try and contain the situation. According to reports, the width of the breach at Kot Almo has increased to 100 feet.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2010.