DG Khan flood: Emergency declared, army called up

An Indus Highway bridge and an embankment damaged

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

Hill torrents were flooded around Dera Ghazi Khan and Taunsa Sharif as it continued to pour in the Sulaiman Range for the third day on Friday, prompting district officials to declare an emergency. Pakistan Army was called in to supervise rescue efforts.

A part of a bridge was damaged near Kharrar Bazad after raging flood water washed away 300 feet of the Indus Highway.

Traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Punjab were disrupted as a result.



An emergency was imposed in Taunsa Sharif and Pakistan Army was called in for rescue activities.

The embankment near Basti Kotani was also damaged by the flood.

Water entered Basti Muthaywali, Jallowali, Bait Fateh Khan and Kotani. Crops in this area were destroyed. Many farmers reported that their cattle had drowned.

The Punjab police, Pakistan Army and Rescue 1122 teams were supervising evacuation of villages. However, thousands of people are stranded in flooded areas because of a shortage of boats. They were seen sitting on rooftops as they waited to be evacuated.

According to the Flood Control Centre, water flow in Sanghar torrent was 146,000 cusecs and 94,345 cusecs at Wahwa.

Water from Roodkhi torrent had entered River Indus after passing through several villages of Taunsa and Wahwa.

Flow at Taunsa and Ghazi Ghaat was 550,000 cusecs and 600,000 cusecs respectively.

Rain water has accumulated in urban areas of Dera Ghazi Khan. Some residents protested against the TMA for not draining it. They said rain water had become stagnant and had brought mosquitoes to their neighbourhoods. They said the DCO should take notice of this and order an inquiry.

Muhammad Azhar, a resident of Batala Colony, said, “People are stuck indoors because rain water has flooded the streets,” he said.

He said TMA officials had not visited his neighbourhood to drain the water.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a spokesman of the district administration said steps were being taken to drain water from flooded areas.

“The administrative machinery is focusing on evacuations from flooded areas,” he said. “This is why it is taking time to drain water from urban neighbourhoods,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2015.