MUZAFFARGARH/PAKPATTAN/
SAHIWAL/WAZIRABAD/KASUR/
HAFIZABAD/SHEIKHUPURA/KAMOKE/VEHARI/BUREWALA/BANDI BAHAUDDIN
Gushing floodwater in all Punjab rivers - Sutlej, Chenab and Ravi on Monday continued roaring down at population, playing havoc with property, communication means, standing crops.
As India released more water into Pakistani rivers, affecting more and more areas which forced hundreds of thousands of people to migrate to safer places. The floodwater in Sutlej has inundated Billal Wala‚ Fatohi Wala‚ Basti Kilanjar and Chanda Singh Wala villages in Kasur District. The local administration had evacuated 20 villages as precautionary measure.
India on Sunday night released 170,000 cusecs water, forcing issuance of high flood warning for River Sutlaj near Kasur.
Earlier, India had released 100, 900 cusecs water from Harike Headworks. Around 84,000 cusecs water, released from Ferozpur Head Works of India, has entered Pakistani limits and will reach at Ganda Singhwala near Kasur.
Meanwhile, with 170,000 cusecs floodwater in Ravi River has wreaked havoc in the adjacent area of Sahiwal by destroying mud houses and standing crops on thousands of acres.
In Muzaffargarh, residents of 116 villages have already been warned to shift to safer places as Indus at Taunsa Barrage and Chenab in Muzaffargarh are in high flood. Punjab Minister for Special Education Asif Saeed Manias along with local MPA Ahmed Yar Hinjra, Health Secretary Hassan Iqbal, Commissioner Chaudhry Muhammad Amin, DCO Farasat Iqbal and officers of district administration inspected all the embankments and relief camps. On the occasion, he stressed the need for immediate vaccination of cattle in flood hit areas.
Asif Saeed said that the Punjab government had evolved a comprehensive programme for the relief and rehabilitation of marooned people. He said that he was getting first hand information about flood situation and relief activities round the clock. He said that discharge of 0.5 million cusec of water had been reported in nullah Aik in Sialkot for first time in the history against its capacity of 40,000 cusec of water.
He pointed out that while heavy rains had adversely damaged crops and houses. He said that a survey of losses due to rains and floods was being conducted for providing compensation to the affectees.
On the occasion DCO Farasat Iqbal Chaudhry told that 30 relief camps were established in the district, adding that Heer’s Town Rangpur was vulnerable as gushing water was hitting the dyke in the area. He said that 65 village of the district have so far been inundated due to flood in Chenab and Indus. No causality of human or cattle has been reported so far while dozens of houses have been destroyed in the affected villages. The administration has also banned boating and bathing in river to avoid any causality or mishap. The DCO said a flow of 400,000 cusecs of water was passing through Rangpur, Khudai, Khajji wala, Langar Serai, Khangarh, Rohillanwali, Kallarwali and Alipur in River Chenab towards Punjnad Headworks. There is still high flood in River Chenab as the water level raised to 4,18,500 cusecs. Due to discharge of floodwater dozens of villages and thousands of acres of cultivated land in the area has been affected.
On the occasion, the Health Hassan Secretary said that no effort will be spared for the relief and rehabilitation of flood affectees, adding that laxity or negligence will not be tolerated in this regard. He said that besides rehabilitation of the land routes to the areas cut off by heavy rains, provision of ration, medicines and other essential items to the stranded people should be ensured and relief activities through boats should immediately be started.
In KASUR, India spelled fresh deluge of amounting to 1,82,000 cusecs in Sutlej River. The river is already absorbing rainwater of Kasur and suburb areas for the last five days. Due to the current spell, more than 50 villages would be affected. An embankment, established before the flood, has been washed away with the heavy waves of water.
Medium level flood starts from 21.50 feet at gauge or 15,000 cusecs of water at Keekar Post in Kasur while it was 20.50 feet at the time of filling this report.
The district administration has issue a red alert to dozens of villages and announcements are being made through loudspeakers to vacate the villages.
On Saturday evening, India released 82,110 cusecs water from its Herikay dam, as a result of which water level rose to 90,000 cusecs at Keekar Post on Sunday. On Sunday evening at about 6:00pm, India released about 100,000 cusecs of water from the same dam, that would further worsen the situation and it is apprehended that flood may cross the medium level gauge.
20 villages including Mustayki, Kalanjer, Fatohiwala, Chanda singh, Kasokay, Mahiwala, Bhikhiwind, Kalowala, Basti Bangla Desh, Jumaykay, Valanwala, Ratnaywala, Gai Jaman, Bhadian Usmanwala, Mubayki, Jot singhwala, Athar singh, Mahmood Khan kay, Thathi Fareed and Kotli Fateh Muhammad have lost land route due to which hundreds of people have been stranded in the isolated places.
About two dozens of villages hit by the new wave after the low flood include Sheikhpura Nau, Kamalpura Nau, Kamalpura Kohna, Sehjra, Doana, Dhoop Sari and Chant.
In PAKPATTAN, the fresh release of water by India coupled with torrential rains, floodwater in River Sutlej has been wrecking havoc and warning to residents of 135 villages has been issued.
So far 7000 acres of cultivated land of 20 villages has affected by flash flood including villages of Bheela, Kund Nain Singh, Kund Saddo Haider, Saddo Haider Malkana and others.
According to sources, 60,000 cusec of water is passing in the limits of Pakpattan and India has also released more 100,000 cusec water which can affect more villages and more cultivated land.
The affected people have complained that the district government is not helping the affectees and rescue activities are only in papers. The villagers blamed that Livestock Department has been working in the air and there is no relief activity by the department up till now. They asked the Sahiwal Commissioner and the Punjab CM to take action against the relevant departments.
In SAHIWAL, the flood situation in River Ravi is under control as downstream discharge of water at Baloki headworks is 86920 cusec. The level of water is receding rapidly while the river has capacity of 100,000 cusec and presently the river is flowing within its bed. On the other hand, Bilawal band on the river bank is intact. The flow of water in River Ravi has partially affected 20 villages of the district which includes Meeran Shah,Dad Bloch, Kore Shah Zaireen, Nathu Wasli and other villages. The flood water inundated 17,665 acres of land across the district. To monitor the flood situation a control room has been set up in the office of Additional Deputy Commissioner. Meanwhile, DDO (HRM) Ahmad Khawar Shahzad told The Nation said that 11 relief camps had been set up to meet any contingency.
In MANDI BAHAUDDIN, water level at Qadirabad Barrage has decreased after passing of flash flood in Chenab River the previous night. Due to heavy flood the river overflowed and water spread over thousands of acres of standing crops. The area was inundated. No loss to life occurred as the inhabitants had already shifted to safer places along with their cattle and households. Protective embankment stood strong to face pressure of the flood. However flood water entered area across the bund when pressure of speedy flow of water made its way through Bahuddin Drain backward. The water reached up to Saida Shariff and Takhat Mahhal. The district administration with the assistance of local NGOs had established relief camps to help out the flood beaten population.
In WAZIRABAD, Punjab Forest Minister Asif Baha has said that flood situation in Tehsil Wazirabad was under control and nine relief camps had been established for the swift provision of help to flood affectees. He said that rhe local administration handled the flood situation effectively while the Livestock Department acted promptly to safeguard cattle f the poor farmers.
He was talking to the newsmen after conducting thorough inspection of the flood-effected here.
Punjab Food Secretary Aslam Kamboh, Assistant Commissioner Rao Sohail Akhtar and Tehsildar Ch Muhammad Arshad accompanied the minister.
In HAFIZABAD, villagers of flood-affected areas in district have heaved a sigh of relief following reduction in the discharge of flood water in River Chenab at Qadirabad and stoppage of rains which had created further woes to the villagers during the past 72 hours.
According to official sources, the discharge of 4,07,598 cusecs in River Chenab at Qadirabad on August 15 last was now discharging only 90,785 cusecs on Monday. (Qadirabad barrage has the capacity of 8,50,000 cusecs). The peak flood water which had submerged more than 50 villages, most of them adjacent to Qadirabad barrage, has also been receding. The land link with most of the villages located inside the protective bund had been disrupted due to three to four feet water on the roads but following the receding of flood water, road link to scores of villages has been restored. However, the peak flood had damaged standing paddy, maize and other crops in hundreds of acres in the flood affected villages. The worst affected villages are: Burj Bhian, Burj Elahi, Bahri Tarar, Behak Ahmad Yar, Bagh Syedan, Asad Ullahpur, Malahanwala, Raja Tarar. Erosion by Chenab had washed away Burj Bhian and most of the houses have been washed away. The flood water has also entered in more than 20 village schools in Pindi Bhattian, Jalalpur Bhattian and Vanike Tarar Marakiz.
The Rescue-1122 and Civil Defence personnel have evacuated more than 4,500 villagers and shifted them to the Relief Centres where they were being provided food, shelter and medicine promptly.
The District Flood Relief Officer Shahid Abbas has directed the Revenue Staff to gather the information regarding the exact loss of crops and property which would be made public within few days.
According to unofficial sources, more than 50 houses were damaged in different villages. However, no loss of human or cattle life has been reported from any place of the district due to flood or rain water in the district.
Meanwhile, the DCO Hafizabad Mansoor Qadir has declared that all possible relief was being provided to the flood affected people in the district and personnel of Revenue, Health, Rescue-1122, Civil Defence were busy in providing relief to the affectees under the supervision of Assistant Commissioners Hafizabad and Pindi Bhattian.
He said that Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has supplied 100 tents and 300 bags ration which has been distributed among the affectees under the supervision of District Flood Focal Person Shahid Abbas. Shahid Abbas has said that 54 villages in Tehsil Hafizabad and 40 in Pindi Bhattian have been affected by the flood water and only 19 Katcha houses were damaged. He further said that no Pukka house has been damaged and no loss of human life was reported so far from any place of the district. He further said that detailed report has been sent to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA). He further said that relief operation is going on in full swing. The EDO Health has said that Health Department has set up 10 Centres and five mobile teams where 30 doctors and 150 paramedical staff was busy in providing healthcare to the affectees.
Similarly in VEHARI, flood emergency has been declared by the DCO as water level is on the rise in River Sutlej. He ordered evacuation the area. Leaves of all government employees have been cancelled. He also chaired a meeting held to review measures to cope with the flood. He ordered the establishment of flood relief camps. The meeting was informed that Jamlaira and Sahoka had suffered a lot due to floodwater. The Irrigation Department officials informed the meeting that at Head Ganda Sing water discharge was 120,000 cusec, at Sulemanki 85,000 cusec and at Head Islam 57,000cusec. A rise of 35,000 cusec is expected in a day or more..
In KAMOKE, floodwater from Nullah Dek entered Kamoke after playing havoc in Narowal‚ Pasrur and Gujranwala‚ inundating 100 villages. The water level in River Chenab at Jhang is rising‚ affecting 300 villages and damaging crops and houses.
River Ravi at Shahdara is likely to fall into Low Flood level during next 15 hours.
Meanwhile‚ Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed the Punjab government to utilize all possible resources for accelerating relief activities in the flood-hit areas. He said this during a meeting with the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore.
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the measures being taken by the Punjab government for providing relief to flood affected people.
Meanwhile, Punjab Zakat and Usher Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran, Special Secretary Health Babar Hayyat Tarrar, Gujranwala DCO, MNA Rana Umer, MPA Rana Shamshad, SSP (Operations) Nawaz Chohan, EDO Health, Kamoke AC and others visited flood-effected areas including Kamoke City, Tibbe Muhammad Nagar, Mohallah Karmawala and village Harrar. On the occasion, the minister directed the DCO to establish flood relief camp and mobile teams of Recue 1122.
In SHEIKHUPURA, as many as 37 villages in both Tehsils - Ferozewala and Sharqpur submerged in floodwater from River Ravi and various water courses on Monday. The effected localities are Marh Bari, Loban Wala, Raj Pura, Rath Ghar, Korole, Chak 36 and 37, Mari Chehna, Bohaly Shah, Nanu Dogar, Talwara, Juhgyan Sayalan, Kamal Town, Mandiali Sara and various others. The residents of the effected localities have taken shelter at safe places on self-help basis. No government aid and help could be provided to the effectees so far. The considerable loss to houses, crops and other valuable has been reported. The religious organizations and NGOs are providing help to the flood victims. The district and tehsil government have failed to provide any relief to effectees.
In BUREWALA, about 25,000 people from 32 villages of Burewala sub-division including Sahuka, Jamlera, Saldera have been evacuated according to Vehari DCO Jawaad Akram here on Monday.
The rescue operation is going on in the affected villages and three flood relief camps have been set up in the affected areas. Whereas various crops, including cotton, paddy, fodder, sugarcane on thousands of acres have been destroyed and more than 53,000 cusecs water of River Sutlej is passing through the area at the moment. The Sutlej is in low flood at Head Islam from where presently about 50,000 cusecs were passing, while the flow at Head Sulemanki was 57,000 cusecs and at Head Ganda Singh it was about 80,000 cusecs water passing out till filing of this report.