Swept away: Indus flood causes dyke breach in DG Khan

470,000 cusecs is expected to pass through Taunsa Barrage

RAJANPUR/ DERA GHAZI KHAN/ BAHAWALPUR:

Dozens of villages were inundated in Dera Ghazi Khan on Wednesday after raging flood waters of the Indus River breached a protective dyke near Jhakkar Imam Shah.

Thousands of people are now stranded in Kot Chattha tehsil’s villages Haji Kamand, Goliwah, Malkani Qalandar, Basti Jaalwala, Darkhawast Masita, Bodla Dha, Tibba Chandia, Basti Lakha, Noorwali Maral, Dodhawah, Sheero, Dastiwala and Sheero Khas Jadeed villages.

DG Khan Commissioner Dr Saqib Aziz, DCO Nadeemur Rehman, DPO Ghulam Mubashar Maiken and Irrigation Department’s Chief Engineer Abdur Raheem Garewal reached the site of the breach and supervised rescue efforts. Pakistan Army and Rescue 1122 teams have also reached the area.

Home Minister Shuja Khanzada met district officials following reports of the dyke breach. Talking to newsmen after the meeting, he said an inquiry committee had been formed to probe the causes of the breach. He said medium-level flood was expected in six districts.

As many as 5,000 people were evacuated in Dera Ghazi Khan on Wednesday. The commissioner said flood warnings had been issued two days ago.

He said 66 relief camps had been established in DG Khan. He said 470,000 cusecs would pass through Taunsa barrage. Aziz said 100 villages had been affected in the flood. No casualty was reported.

A spokesman of the Rajanpur district administration said that 32 relief camps had been set up and Rescue 1122 had shifted 1,300 people to safer areas as a medium-level flood persisted in River Indus.

He said DCO Zahoor Hussain had visited the flood-affected areas and ordered Rescue teams to continue operations till every villager had been evacuated.

The spokesman said embankments and bunds along the river had been strengthened. He said dozens of Rescue 1122 teams were evacuating people from six low-lying areas in Rajanpur.

A handout issued by the district government said water flow from hill torrents was decreasing. It said a spur at Hajipur had been fortified to protect nearby villages.

The handout said no casualty had been reported in the flood and communications had not been disrupted.

The handout said machinery had been moved and Rescue 1122 had been deployed to cope with an emergency situation. It said swimming in the river near Kot Mithan Sharif had been banned.

The handout said action would be taken against those found operating boats without training.

Flood in River Indus

A peak flow of 500,000 to 550,000 cusecs is likely at Guddu from July 24 to July 26, a handout from the Flood Forecasting Division in Lahore said on Wednesday.

It said 500,000 to 540,000 cusecs water was expected to pass by Sukkur between July 25 and July 27.

The Met Department has warned of flash some floods in streams in the Punjab, northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eastern Balochistan and Kashmir over the next three days.

In Rahim Yar Khan, 22 relief camps have been set up for those affected by flood,

DPO Tariq Mastoi said officials at police stations near the river (Rukanpur, Abadpur, Ahmadpur Lama, Bhong, Machka, Zahirpir, Taranda Muhammad Panah and Shidani) had been deputed to assess the flood situation in their areas.

He said on Tuesday police teams from Abadpur, Zahirpir, Taranda Muhammad panah and Shidani had shifted 254 men, 87 women, 106 children and 236 cattle to safe zones.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2015.