Five more killed as floodwaters enter Jhang, Multan, Chiniot and Sargodha

FIVE MORE KILLED AS FLOODWATERS ENTER JHANG, MULTAN, CHINIOT AND SARGODHA

MULTAN: Five more people were killed in different areas as flood waters entered Multan, Jhang, Sargodha and Chiniot on Monday, wreaking massive havoc.

Punjab Minister for Jails Abdul Waheed Arain on Monday said thousands of villages in Multan, Shujabad and Jalalpur Pirwala had been issued flood warnings as the Chenab River would receive one million cusecs of water on September 11 and 12.

He was talking to journalists after inspecting embankments in the riverine areas near Shershah, Nawabpur and Head Muhammadwala. MPA Muhammad Ali Khokhar, DCO Zahid Saleem Gondal and officers of the irrigation department and the NDMA also accompanied him.

The minister said the district administration had imposed Section 144 ahead of the flood. He said evacuation had started from the possible flood-hit areas in the riverine belt. The authorities concerned have been asked to take all the necessary steps to avoid any loss of life and property, the minister said.

He said a flood control room had been set up at the DCO’s office. He asked the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) to arrange tents for the victims at safe places.MCCI President Khawaja Muhammad Usman assured him of all-out help to meet the emergency.

He said the MCCI had always stood with the government in case of any emergency, calamity and natural disaster.An official of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) told this reporter that all spurs were safe and able to bear pressure up to 0.9 million cusecs of water. He said a huge amount of floodwater had accumulated at the Qadirabad Headwork on the Chenab River whereas the Trimmu Barrage was receiving 177,000 cusecs of water.

Meanwhile, a flood alert posted on the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) website stated that due to the second flood peak in the Chenab River, the peak at Trimmu was likely to persist for another 24-48 hours with maximum flow of 800,000 cusecs.

The exceptionally high flood level may continue till September 12, the PMD stated. As a result, Jhang, 18-Hazari, Sargodha, Khushab and Toba Tek Singh districts are likely to be inundated. Villagers living near the Chenab River on western and eastern banks in Rangpur, Ahmedpur Sial, Garh Maharaja, Khudai, Khajiwala, Langar Serai, Bosan, Nawabpur, Shujabad and Jalalpur Pirwala have been asked to shift to safe places due to the flood risk.

According to the ISPR, four companies of Multan Corps equipped with life jackets, motor boats and other goods have been sent to Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan and Shujabad. The army continued rescue and relief activities along the Chenab River and 170 families were shifted to safe places.

Meanwhile, DCO Zahid Salim Gondal and CPO Sultan Ahmed Chaudhry jointly visited Head Muhammadwala, Shershah Bridge and Basti Ghota embankment. Talking to journalists, the DCO said over 800,000 cusecs disastrous flood was reaching Multan in the next two days.

The DCO feared that over 268,000 people would be affected by the flood. He said a breach in Head Muhammadwala and Shershah dykes would be the last option. He said the possible breach spots had been identified and all items, including food and medicines, had been dropped at relief camps.

“All the government and private schools located across the embankments have been closed and vacated. All steps have been taken to avert any eventuality,” he said, adding that the Punjab Home Department had imposed Section 144 for 15 days and banned the gathering of over five people in the district till September 14.

PAKPATTAN: The water level has continuously been increasing in the Sutlej River, with the inflow and outflow of 25,929 and 20717 cusecs at Head Sulemanki, respectively. At Head Ganda Singhwala, the water level was recorded at 13.8 feet. Meanwhile, DCO Javed Akhtar Mahmood, the Pakpattan AC, and other officers visited the villages near the banks of the Sutlej River.

The DCO ordered the officers of all departments to complete necessary work before the flood. He ordered the departments concerned to inspect the condition of dykes daily. He also directed the health department to arrange anti-snake bite vaccine.

JHANG: A high flood is passing through the Trimmu Headworks as the water level is 171,000 cusecs. According to the district administration, 700,000-800,000 cusecs water will pass through the head on Monday night.

Arrangements have been made to breach the protective 18-Hazari to save the Trimmu Headworks and Jhang city. In the wake of an emergency, a breach will be made and as a result, 250 villages of 18-Hazari Tehsil will be inundated by floodwaters from the Chenab.

The shifting of people from the affected areas to safe places has almost been completed by the police, Rescue 1122 and the army. All types of traffic have been banned through Trimmu Headworks due to which the road link of Jhang with Bhakkar, Layyah and Dera Ismail Khan has been cut off. Meanwhile, several villagers are resisting to leave their homes.

The DCO said the situation was under control and a rescue, relief operation was going successfully. He said 18 relief camps had been set up in the district to provide shelter, food and medicines to flood-affected people. He said emergency had been declared in the district to cope with the situation.

SIALKOT: The government has declared 300 flood-hit villages as calamity-hit areas, said MNA Ch Armaghan Subhani while talking to newsmen on Monday.

The MNA said that the government had declared 300 villages in Bajwat, Head Marala and Sialkot as calamity-hit areas. Meanwhile, Director General Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) Maj-Gen Tahir Javed Khan visited the flooded villages along the Sialkot Working Boundary. He inspected relief and rescue activities by the Chenab Rangers.

He ordered the Chenab Rangers to set up flood relief centres and medical camps in the border villages besides ensuring smooth provision of food items and medicines to the victims. MPAs Ch Tariq Akhtar Subhani, Rana Muhammad Iqbal Harnah and Sufi Muhammad Ishaq were also present.

KHANEWAL: Twenty-one relief camps have been set up to help the flood-hit people in Mian Channu and Kabirwala. As many as 16 relief camps have been set up in Kabirwala and another five in Mian Channu on the orders of DCO Usman Moazzam.

Relief camps set up in Kabirwala include Girls Middle School Fazil Shah, High School Sahib Langra, Boys and Girls High Schools at Muhammad Shah, Boys Middle School Fazil Shah, high schools in Sardarpur, Mamdal, Khokhra Mohabat Taraggar, Salar Wahan Nau, Girls Middle School Jhok Azam, Primary School Gagra Qalandra, Primary School Khatpur Sanda, Primary School Kand Sargana, Primary School Khand Hiraj, Girls Primary School Bati, boys and girls high schools at Qatalpur and Bati Bangla, Haveli Mubarak Shah. The relief camps at Mian Channu include Boys School Chak No 123/7-ER, Middle School 6/8-R, BHU Kot Barkat Pul Loharanwali, J-Bund Tulamba and Manak Hiraj Ghauspur.

RAHIMYAR KHAN: Evacuation from riverine areas has been started due to the expected flood of 800,000 cusecs in Indus River at Chachran Sharif between September 10 and 11.

According to the authorities, police with the cooperation of armymen is busy shifting locals to safe areas where relief camps have been set up. District Officer Livestock Dr Sibtain said that 22 relief camps with basic amenities had been set up in 20 union councils located in the riverine areas.

PHOOLNAGAR: The district administration has issued a medium flood warning in the Ravi River at Head Baloki.

The inflow was recorded at 105,000 cusecs while the outflow was 95,000 cusecs. Meanwhile, floodwater entered the villages, including Kamongill, Gugga Sarai, Nathay Jagir, Marati Wall and Qila Mohkam Singh. As a result, crops over hundreds of acres have been inundated, causing a loss of millions of rupees.

MULTAN: The Pattan Development Organisation has accused the district administration of making poor arrangements for flood in the southern Punjab districts, saying that it is acting mindlessly and creating panic due to unnecessary political pressure and interference in the administrative matters.

In a statement, the PDO stated that poor preparedness was the result of absence of implementation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy and Monsoon Contingency Plan 2014 of the NDMA, which is the backbone of disaster management system and the first responder in the wake of any disaster.

It added that equal importance was given to locally-elected councils in the policy, but criminal negligence persists as both the first defenders are absent. Consequently, the fate of millions of people in southern districts has been left to the mercy and whims of bureaucracy.

The situation has developed a mess even in those areas which are safer. The PDO said an alert message was circulated among the inhabitants of Multan district at midnight through a cellphone company.

“To ascertain the delivery and coverage of the message, people contacted each other and inquired about the flood threat. The content of the message is inappropriate and inadequate and it was sent without any homework. For instance, it has been sent to those people who do not face the flood danger and most people who live in the disaster-prone areas have been ignored,” the PDO stated, adding that a poor quality early warning message was a clear violation of the SOPs of the National Monsoon Contingency Plan 2014.

Moreover, the government has imposed Section 144 in the flood prone areas to force the flood prone communities to leave the areas. “In the world, most people do not leave their place of residence even in case of a super disaster. Therefore, this coercion must be stopped without any delay.”

The PDO stated that the district governments of Multan and Muzaffargarh had established five dozen camps for displaced families. “If the district governments succeed in forcing the flood-hit families to leave their homes, a few dozen camps will not be able to accommodate a huge number of people and it may lead to chaos,” it maintained.

NANKANA SAHIB: The district administration on Monday established two flood camps to cope with the expected flood in River Ravi on Monday.

The camps have been established at Khanpur Sihwan and Faridabad, and different food items and veterinary medicines are available at the camps. Staff of health, agriculture, civil defence and Rescue 1122 would serve the flood victims in the camps.

TOBA TEK SINGH: Punjab Zakat and Ushr Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran chaired a meeting to review the pre-flood arrangements here on Monday.

DCO Dr Farah Masood told the minister that nine relief camps had been set up in the expected flood areas near Ravi River. DPO Dr Shahzad Asif and MPAs Mian Muhammad Rafiq, Ayub Gadhi and Amjad Ali Javed were also present.

FAISALABAD: Regional Police Officer Muhammad Ahsan Tufail on Monday visited Chiniot and Jhang and monitored the rescue operations being carried out in the flood-hit areas of the two districts.

The RPO appreciated the police efforts for rescuing the flood-hit people and directed that the DPOs of both districts extend every possible help to the rescued people.

GUJRANWALA: A six-year-old child was killed and two others were injured when the roof of a house collapsed in Sikandarpura near Wazirabad.The roof of a house owned by Muhammad Nazir caved-in due to flood. As a result, Ahmad Ali died on the spot while two others suffered injuries.