Indus Highway swept away in floodwater near Sehwan

Breaches in Manchar Lake have caused various parts of the Indus Highway to inundate.

SEHWAN: Various parts of the Indus Highway have been inundated as floodwaters were released through the development of numerous breaches in Manchar Lake. According to reports, road links between Sehwan and Obarao City have been disconnected and a large portion of the road has been swept away.

Thousands of people from the nearby villages of Sehwan Sharif and Dadu have taken shelter at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.

The water level has receded in Manchar Lake as floodwaters overflowed because of breaches at various points in safety dykes. Floodwaters are now headed towards Bhan Saeed Abad.

The waves have also submerged a Parco oil refinery’s pumping station in the area. Many of Parco’s staff is stranded on the station’s rooftop waiting for help to arrive.

Meanwhile, the water level at Kotri Barrage has receded, however efforts are still underway to fill the Kot Almo breach.

According to the control room, water inflow at Kotri Barrage is 277,000 cusecs while outflow stands at 256,000 cusecs.

Meanwhile, the irrigation department has filled about 10 to 15 feet of the Kot Almo breach.

The chief engineer at Kotri Barrage says it will take another 15 to 20 days to fill the entire breach, which had earlier inundated Sujawal and Jati tehsils of Thatta.

Rescue and relief efforts under the banner of Operation MADAD continue in Sindh at full pace. Relief camps established at Khairpur, Sukkur, Baghan, Gharro, Boharo, Ghorabari, Thatta and Petaro are being used to provide food and shelter for more than 17,000 flood survivors.

According to a press release issued on Friday, in the past 24 hours 2,300 people have been evacuated from Jacobabad and Dadu districts. Mobile teams deployed at Keti Bandar and Jati are engaged in distribution of food items and ration. 97,000 gallons of clean drinking water has also been provided to the IDPs. Aerial food drop by helicopters at Johi and Manchar Lake continued. 770 people were given medical treatment at camps and through mobile teams. Industrial camps have been established to impart vocational training to women. Temporary mosques and barbershops have also been established.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2010.