Sehwan Airport and at least 100 villages have been inundated after breaches developed in a safety dyke of Manchar Lake at numerous points in Dadu increased drastically in size.
The breach at RD-92 is now a kilometre wide, while the RD-96 breach has now widened to 1,500 feet.
The breaches widened after the lake began overflowing beyond its 121-foot capacity on Thursday. Two more breaches in other dykes have now broadened to 25-42 feet, letting out massive torrents of water.
According to Irrigation Department officials, the breach in of the lake’s protective embankment has now widened to 1,500 feet.
Jamshoro’s union council Dal has been completely flooded, and Sehwan airport’s runways have been damaged, while the advancing water also is threatening the Indus Highway. Bobak and Channa union councils have also been partially flooded.
Meanwhile, the construction of a ring embankment is underway to save the town of Bhan Saeedabad.
EDO (revenue) Sohail Bachani denied reports of breaches and said that the lake is “just overflowing”. He said that staff working to strengthen the embankments has left due to the floods. The flood water is now heading towards Johi, Dadu and Saeedabad areas.
New flash floods have also severed road connection between Johi, Mehar and Khairpur and other areas.
Officials said that a special train has been arranged to shift 150,000 people still trapped in Sehwan. All displaced people, they said, will be accommodated in Matiari, Jamshoro, Kotri, Tando Muhammed Khan and Tando Allahyar. However, according to the EDO, a large number of people have refused to leave their homes.
Meanwhile, as water recedes at the Kotri Barrage, efforts are still underway to fill the Kot Almo breach in Thatta.
According to the control room, water upstream discharge at the Kotri Barrage is 291,000 cusecs while the downstream discharge is 271,000 cusecs.
There is a low-level flood at the Manarki Dyke in Thatta with the water discharge hovering at 300,000 cusecs. The district administration is also trying to fill the MS Dyke. The breach had earlier inundated Sujawal and Jati tehsils of Thatta. (Additional input from APP)
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2010.
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