News
Monday, July 22, 2013
Rains play havoc in several districts of Punjab; 5 killed* Dozens of villages in Sialkot, Daska, Pasrur and Kasur submerged due to high flood in nullahs
* Floodwater damages houses, destroys crops
SIALKOT/GUJRAT: Monsoon rains flooded rivers, tributaries and drainage canals on Sunday, which played havoc in various villages of Sialkot, Daska, Pasrur and Kasur, killing at least five people.
Floods in rivers and tributaries inundated several villages across Punjab. The rainwater entered houses, government offices and private institutions, besides all main city roads.
The affected areas include Model Town, Kutchery Road, Paris Road, Abbot Road, Jail Road, Railway Road, Mujahid Road, Shahabpura Road, Rangpura, Hajipura, Prem Nagar, Pooran Nagar, Commissioner Road, congested Allama Iqbal Chowk, Khadim Ali Road, Sialkot Airport Road and Hajipura Road, and all the surrounding residential, industrial and commercial areas, including the railways station, District Jail and other roads leading to the Sialkot International Airport.
The floodwater also destroyed crops cultivated on hundreds of acres of land in these districts.
Five people, including a woman, were reportedly killed in rain- and flood-related incidents, while scores others were injured as roofs of several houses collapsed. Many villages in Gujrat and Kamoke were severely flooded, while breaches in nullahs destroyed paddy crops on hundreds of acres. In Kamonki, an embankment of Nullah Dek near Nathranwali breached, flooding all the surrounding areas.
Local authorities and residents were reportedly busy filling the breached embankment.
The Meteorological Department has confirmed low-level floods in various parts of the country, including Tarbela on Sindh River and Khanki on Chenab River.
Dek and Aik nullahs overflowed at some points in Narowal district last night, slightly damaging some villages of Chuur in the outskirts of Chawinda and some villages in Ganjianwali and Shatab Garh.
According to the Sialkot District Emergency Management, the situation at both the nullahs was now normal. However, all officials and staff were on alert to meet any eventuality.
In Gujrat, Nullah Alsee overflowed and the protected embankment broke, inundating a number of villages.
The people of affected areas have called for dispatching immediate relief for them. They demanded Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to ask the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to take steps on an emergency basis to facilitate the homeless people with food and shelter.
Meanwhile, Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Sunday visited several flood-hit areas in Narowal and discussed the rehabilitation process with the victims.
The minister directed the local authorities to accelerate the efforts of pumping out floodwater from paddy fields. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk