60 villages swamped in Sindh

Hyderabad commissioner issues flood warning in seven districts.

MULTAN/ HYDERABAD:

At least 60 villages on the Indus riverbed in the Matiari and Jamshoro districts have gone underwater as the Kotri barrage - the last gated structure on the river - has received an increased discharge from the river.

A medium level flood has been declared at the barrage where 222,000 cusecs of water was measured in the upstream, while 188,441 cusecs was released in the downstream.

In the Tali town of Sehwan, Jamshoro, at least 30 villages were submerged by Wednesday morning. A school and a police station in Nai Wahan village have also been inundated. The district administration has arranged for shelter, food, water and health facilities for the displaced people. The actual number of the displaced people, however, was not available.

“I have personally requested the people who have set up tents along the riverbank to move to shelters at the government schools,” said Jamshoro deputy commissioner Sajid Jamal Abro.

According to Matiari additional deputy commissioner Salik Mirza, dozens of Katcha villages have been flooded. He said that the inhabitants of the riverbed villages have been asked to evacuate but most of them have not done so thus far. “We have also advised them to avoid staying by the riverside.”

Hyderabad commissioner Jamal Mustafa Syed issued a flood warning on Wednesday and directed the deputy commissioners of Dadu, Benazirabad, Matiari, Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Thatta and Badin to evacuate people from the Katcha areas. The commissioner also asked them to submit details to his office within 24 hours about the people living along the riverbed and the arrangements made for their shelter.

South Punjab clear of major threat: minister

No urban area in south Punjab now faces a major threat from the Indus and Chenab rivers, Federal Minister for Food Security Sikandar Bosan announced on Wednesday.

Speaking at a news conference in Multan, Bosan said the biggest threat in the area was now posed by the Sutlej and Ravi rivers due to the release of floodwater into their channels by Indian authorities. He added he will submit his report on the flood situation in south Punjab to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today (Thursday).

The minister said the Punjab government had evacuated the maximum number of areas, even places least threatened by the floods. He added that all dykes and embankments in the region were being managed well by authorities concerned and several centres, which could provide medical care among other things, have been set up in flood-stricken areas.

While the minister conceded that rural settlements along the banks of rivers and canals were still inundated, he said these settlements were set up without the permission of the government.

Meanwhile, authorities in Khanewal and Vehari districts have moved over 60,000 people to higher ground.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2013.