Rising water level: South Punjab region put on high alert

Evacuations begin as fresh warnings issued.

BAHAWALPUR/ MULTAN/ ISLAMABAD:

South Punjab region was put on high alert after water level in both River Ravi and Chenab further rose, as the death toll, due to floods and torrential rains across the country, topped 98, according Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs).

According to District Coordination Officer Multan Gulzar Shah High level flood in River Chenab is expected to cross Multan during the next 72 hours.

All district coordination officers are personally monitoring the flood situation in their respective district through flood monitoring room and flood control centres.

Authorities have turned all schools, near the banks of River Chenab and Indus, into flood rehabilitation centres.

Pakistan army has also been alerted by the South Punjab district administrative officers though no troops have so far been called.

Areas near the Taunsa barrage have also been vacated by the district government as a pre-emptive measure. Around 600,000 cusecs of water is expected to pass by Dera Ghazi Khan in the next 24 hours.

DCO Dera Ghazi Khan Ali Bahadur Qazi told The Express Tribune that all areas which can be affected by the flood have been vacated.

Fresh warnings have also been issued to District Rajanpur where flood water from Chenab and Indus hit with maximum force.

Some 15 villages in Layyah were inundated after a dyke—Khokhar wala—was swept away by the floodwater from River Indus. Warnings were also issued to the Multan and Muzaffargarh region.

Meanwhile residents of Layyah staged a protest against the government for ignoring warnings regarding the Khokhar wala dyke.

A dyke near River Sutlej breached inundating five villages in the Lodhra region. Over 500 people from the area are being moved to safe places.

Flood warnings were also issued to Ruknpur, Ihsanpur, Hajipur, Thul Hamza, Chaachran and Zahirpir areas which is likely to be affected by 600,000 cusecs of water in river Indus.

National Disaster Management Authority has so far established 17 relief camps in which 2,800 people are currently taking shelter.

As per the meteorological department forecast for next 24 hours, scattered thunderstorm and heavy downpour is expected at isolated places over Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Kalat, Zhob, Nasirabad, Sukkur and Larkana Divisions along with places in Kashmir, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa & Gilgit-Baltistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2013.