Disaster prevention: Villages evacuated following overnight showers

Heavy rain reported in several south and central Punjab areas

DERA GHAZI KHAN/ BAHAWALPUR/ FAISALABAD:

Border Military Police and Baloch Levies on Wednesday began evacuating settlements along Sulaiman Range fearing flooding by hill torrents.

It has been raining intermittently for three days in Rakhi Gaaj, Rakhi Mun, Sham Tala, Barthi, Hangaloon Kutch, Sakhi Sarwar and Fort Munro along Sulaiman Range, disrupting communication in these areas. Heavy showers were reported in Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur overnight.

In Sangar, Koura, Vehoa and Bador, rain caused significant flows in hill torrents, prompting Baloch Levies and Border Military Police to move residents of these areas to safer places.

Talking to The Express Tribune, BMP Commandent Shahid Shahid Mehboob said water levels had receded after initial flooding. He said the BMP and Baloch Levies were monitoring the situation, adding that there was no immediate threat of flooding in the area.

In Bahawalpur, it rained heavily for four hours, resulting in power breakdown in most parts of the city. Several low-lying areas were also inundated. Traffic district the city was held up for several hours as rainwater accumulated there.

Bahawalpur District Coordination Officer (DCO) Imran Sikandar Baloch said the district administration had asked for equipment from Lodhran, Ahmadpur and Hasilpur to drain water. He said steps were being taken to clear roads as soon as possible.

He said some 133 millimetres rain had been recorded.

He said the district administration had deployed 16 dewatering sets, five sucker machines and five Peter engines.

He said some 150 men were draining the water. He said 550 officials of Bahawalpur Waste Management Company were cleaning the city.

Showers in central Punjab

Light rain was reported in Lahore, Sargodha and Faisalabad. In Faisalabad, rain caused temperatures to drop. Low-laying area in and around the city were inundated.

Hundreds of youth came out and bathed in the rain on the streets. They also thronged to the canal and dived in.

The Meteorological Department has forecast more rain in the next 24 hours in and around Faisalabad which is expected to lower temperatures further.

The maximum temperature recorded in Faisalabad was 30 degrees and minimum of 26 degrees. Humidity remained at 76 per cent.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2015.