News
August 04 , 2023
Water Level Continues to Rise in All Major Rivers
Lahore: A man died and six others sustained injuries in flood-related incidents in Punjab as all the major rivers in the province were swollen due to continuous monsoon rains.
All major rivers of Punjab continued to rise as heavy rains kept lashing different parts of the province as well as the country.
According to a Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) report, medium level flood was reported at Guddu and Sukkur and low at Taunsa in the Indus while all other rivers including Chenab, Ravi, Jhelum and Sutlej were reportedly flowing normally.
Low-flood situation was observed at Taunsa in the Indus, at Sidhnai in the Ravi and at Sulemanki and Islam in the Sutlej.
The Bahawalpur district administration has imposed Section 144 on 21 points until Aug 7 in view of deluge in the Sutlej.
According to a notification issued by the district administration, there will be a complete ban on swimming and crossing the river on boats. Similarly, strolling and assemblage of people on the banks of the river will also not be allowed. The people had been warned of the consequences if they fail to comply with the instructions.
The Sutlej has left a trail of destruction at Ferozepur Chistian, a suburban village of Pakpattan, as it has inundated homes and crops and farmers were urging the government to provide them help.
The Sutlej floodwater entered the fields at Arifwala and washed away homes and roads after a protective embankment collapsed.
The Sutlej has burst its banks at Minchinabad following which water has entered 44 villages and flooded agricultural land spreading over hundreds of acres. At most of the places, walls of mud houses have collapsed adding to the miseries of the people.
The affected farmers have said that water has taken away all their belongings so much so that now they are without shelters and have nothing to eat.
They have appealed to the government to waive off their taxes.
They have also requested the government to draw up a comprehensive plan for their rehabilitation.
They demanded that the government give them subsidies on fertilizers, seed and pesticides.
The Ravi is in low flood at Mill Fatyana in Kamalia as 56,000 cusec water is passing through the river.
Already floodwater has inflicted a loss of millions of rupees on the farmers after it flooded crops sown over dozens of acres of land.
Farmers have complained that although floods wreaked havoc every year, the government never came to their rescue.
Dozens of villages have been inundated while crops grown over hundreds of acres of land destroyed after River Chenab burst its banks at Rangpur. Crops over hundreds of acres were submerged by water and a large number of people had to leave their homes in Tehsil Alipur (Muzaffargarh).
Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) claimed to have rescued 454 people in flood-affected areas of the province. The authority set up 222 relief camps in different districts of the province.
The authority transported 4,075 people in Okara, 7,039 in Kasur, 100 in Vehari, 2,124 in Muzaffargarh, 48 in Khanewal and 454 in Nankana to safe places.
The authority also claimed to have distributed 855 ration bags among the flood-affected people.
One man lost his life while six others were injured due to roof collapse in Okara and Sialkot.
The authority states three villages were destroyed in Bahawalpur, 77 in Okara, 40 in Jhang, five in Muzaffargarh, 33 in Khanewal, eight in Nankana, and 65 in Layyah.
Around 220 acres of land were destroyed in Bahawalpur, 20,275 acres in Okara, 19,061 acres in Vehari, 9,000 acres in Khanewal, 816 acres in Nankana and 5,762 acres in Layyah. - Dawn
Courtesy Dawn
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