Flood ‘14: Sindh heaves a sigh of relief

Official says breaches in Punjab critical to saving Sindh.

SUKKUR/GUDDU/MULTAN:

Irrigation officials in Sindh heaved a sigh of relief on Wednesday amid reports that the floodwater level will start receding today (Thursday). “The danger is over,” said Guddu Barrage Chief Engineer Deewan Dhanomal on Wednesday, adding that the water level by Friday and Saturday will not exceed the 500,000 cusecs mark.

“We would have witnessed another high level flood if the water had not been diverted in various districts of Punjab through breaches in dykes,” Dhanomal said, adding that four to five breaches were critical in saving Sindh from the torrent that devastated central and south Punjab. “Even though we made preparations and our river dykes are able to sustain even a super flood, danger cannot be ruled out in high floods,” he said.

Those living in the riverine belt of the Indus River have not evacuated their homes as the riverbed is so wide at many places that the water level is not expected to inundate the area, with a total of 300,000 cusecs to 400,000 cusecs expected here. In Kashmore-Khandkot, some katcha areas situated in the middle of the riverbed have been submerged, but the areas located at comparatively higher ground remain safe.

While the flood has wreaked havoc in Punjab, it has proved a blessing for the people of Sindh as it has alleviated an acute shortage of water in the canals and their tributaries. Those in the katcha areas say that while the floods have been troublesome, the water brings sediment with it that makes the land more fertile.

Chairman NDMA, Major General Saeed Aleem visited Multan and Punjnad Headworks on Wednesday. The water level at Punjnad decreased by more than 60,000 cusecs over the last 24 hours, irrigation officials said, while an increase of more than 12,000 cusecs has been recorded at Guddu Barrage. The barrage is discharging more than 270,000 cusecs of water in its downstream and by this morning (Thursday), a medium-level flood of 450,000 cusecs to 475,000 cusecs is expected to pass through here.

In-charge Control Room Sukkur Barrage Abdul Aziz Soomro told The Express Tribune that Tarbela Dam would fill to capacity by Wednesday night as its pond level is 1549.37 feet. Soomro said that the level recorded upstream at Guddu Barrage on Wednesday was 300,000 cusecs and downstream was 274,130 cusecs. At Sukkur Barrage, upstream was 190,035 cusecs and downstream was 136,600 cusecs. At Kotri Barrage, upstream was 55,471 cusecs and 16,716 cusecs water is being released in its downstream. Additionally, Soomro said Guddu Barrage will discharge 450,000 cusecs to 475,000 cusecs of water between midnight tonight (Thursday) and Friday.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, Sindh irrigation department officials said that various barrages in Punjab are capable of sustaining 680,000 cusecs to 1,100,000 cusecs of water and therefore, it is worth questioning why the authorities were eager to breach dykes at multiple points, rendering hundreds of thousands of residents homeless.

Head Marala, for instance, at the Chenab River has a capacity of passing 1,100,000 cusecs of water while Khanki and Qadirabad headworks can discharge 800,000 cusecs of water; Trimmu headworks has a capacity of 680,000 cusecs, the officials said, adding that, with the exception of Trimmu, 800,000 cusecs to 900,000 cusecs of water could have easily passed through the other areas without the bunds being breached.

Meanwhile in Rojhan, sub-district of Rajanpur and major rural areas of Kot Mithan and Omarkot, 170 villages were submerged before the water began to recede on Wednesday. By the evening, the water level was almost 450,000 cusecs near Rojhan. Almost 30,000 acres of land were submerged in the rural belt of South Punjab. Seven people were swept away in the waters over the last 48 hours in Alipur, Bahawalpur, Uch Sharif, Rahim Yar Khan, Rojhan and Rajanpur. Five people drowned in Khanewal, Multan, Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2014.