SIALKOT - No a flood warning system has so far been installed at Head Marala Barrage near Sialkot to monitor flood situation of River Chenab even after six decades of its establishment.
However, the Punjab government has just made a decision to install a computerised flood warning system at Head Marala Barrage.
According to the Sialkot based senior officials of the Irrigation Department, the early establishment of this advanced flood warning system at River Chenab had now become vital. They added that this advanced flood warning system , to be linked with satellite , would give the special flood warning 36 hours before the flood in River Chenab. They said that the Wapda, Federal Flood Control Authority and Irrigation Department would be able to have joint round the clock monitoring of flood in River Chenab, they added.
They said that the early flood warnings by this system, having automatic sirens, would also help the district administrations of Sialkot, Gujrat and other districts along the banks of River Chenab to save the areas along the banks of Chenab, besides, shifting the people and live stock safely to the safer places in a bid to avert the recurring flood threats.
The officials narrated that the River Chenab has a total length of 731km while the total length of the dykes on Chenab was 1330 KMs. Meanwhile, the Flood Control Authority has also directed the authorities concerned to make the anti flood fighting arrangements as more affective at Head Marala, Head Khanki, Head Qadirabad, Head Trimu and Head Punjnad to control and handle the flood situation there in River Chenab more effectively.
1,500 TAX DEFAULTERS ISSUED NOTICES: The Punjab government has issued the final notices to as many as 1,500 big landlords for the recovery their prolonged pending agricultural taxes in Gujranwala Division.
The senior officials said that said 1500 landlords had been lying the defaulters of Rs100 million in shape of their agricultural taxes since long. The officials added that they were reluctant to pay their prolonged agricultural taxes by using their complete political influence, besides, ignoring the repeated recovery notices issued them by the Agriculture Department.