Nisar Khuhro visits sensitive Aqil-Agani, Morio, Nusrat River Indus embankments
Sameer Nazir/Imtiaz Gorar
KARACHI/LARKANA: Torrential rains lashed with gusty winds in lower Sindh including Mirpur Khas, Hyderabad, Larkana, Karachi divisions, hundreds and thousands stranded due to flood water here on Sunday.
According to the current flood water reports at Tarbela dam has been filled up to 1539.7 ft and 470,000 cusecs water is running in river Indus at Tarbela and 486900 cusecs downstream, the Kabul River 115900 cusecs. The upstream level in Chashma is 379422 cusecs and 368171 is downstream, Tonsa report is 405857 and 393422 cusecs respectively.
Whereas, the Mangla filled up by 1236.9 ft, while 102000 cusec water up stream level and downstream is 109000 cusecs, while the upstream level at Maralla 145300 and 117300, Panjnad reported 109253 downstream.
The level of flood water at Guddu increasing and reported over 514000 upstream and the downstream was 501433 in current details.
As the Sukkur running 417493 and 379743 respectively and the Kotri reported 153780 upstream, while 140987 downstream level on the occasion.
Federal and provincial governments are taking necessary pre-monsoon flood protection measures, the PDMA in Sindh and local administration have directed the Katcha areas to immediately vacate due to the monsoon heavy rains in Sindh province next days from Monday to Thursday.
During the rainy season and flood water, the scores of people including children and women, were affected of infectious diseases and other waterborne diseases. The flood and rainwater is causing the spread of illnesses particularly at established Tent cities in different parts.
The flood water has hit several hundred villages in Kashmore-Kanndhkot, Ghotki, Sukkur, Larkana and Dadu-Sehwan, Kotri and other Katcha areas.
In Larkana, Senior Minister Sindh for Information and Irrigation Nisar Ahmed Khuhro on Sunday visited his native village Aqil and Aqil-Agani loop Band, Morio, Nusrat Loop Band and other sensitive embankments.
The irrigation department briefed senior Minister Sindh Mr. Khuhro of various sensitive parts of Aqil Agani, Morialo, Nsurat, Ruk and other Indus River dykes and they assured that there is strict monitoring of all areas day and night to cop the issues.
Provincial Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro after visit of Jamshoro Kotri, he was accompanied by Secretary Irrigation Syed Zaheer Haider Shah, MPA Sardar Khan Chandio and other concerned officials.
Speaking with journalists, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that there is no any threat of flood in Sindh at the moment, 0.6 Million cusec water will be passed; he assured that all flood fighting measures have been taken to control the situation.
He said that irrigation staff have been put on high alert and their leaves had been cancelled, 46 points along river dykes had been declared sensitive and their monitoring are being carried out round the clock, comparing the prevailing situation and said that in 2010, when water discharge was 1.3 million cusecs and 0.6 million cusecs water discharge would not pose any threat.
Mr. Khuhro said that yet no any command area village is affected or submerged by flood water; however PDMA and Revenue department should collect the figure by survey to ascertain the number of inundated villages in Katacha areas.
Irrigation minister disclosed that Punjab government has admitted that it provided the wrong figure about the flood water, adding that Wapda, IRSA, NDMA, PMDA should play role in this regard.
To question about the PTI chief statement Imran Khan criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan’s statement in favor of controversial Kalabagh Dam project and said that PTI chief has detained himself at closed street.
Executive Engineer Syed Noor Shah briefed the minister about the situation and said that all protective dykes of River Indus are intact; all preventative measures have been taken to face the untoward situation.
He informed that now 513600 cusec water at upstream and 501431 at downstream at Guddu Barrage while at Sukkur Barrage 414735 at upstream and 374185 at downstream has been recorded, deluge of flash flood around 6 to 7 will reach in 10 to days at Sukkur and Larkana.
Deputy Commissioner Larkana Javed Ali Jagirani, Chief Engineer Nazir Mahar, Executive Engineer Abdul Ghafoor Soomro, PPP Leader Abdul Fatah Bhutto and others were present.
