Hundreds of villages submerged by floods
18 August, 2013
ISLAMABAD: More than 200 villages were submerged and standing crops on several acres destroyed due to high floods in River Tawi, Nullah Dek and Basantar.
The Narowal road has also been closed for traffic, disconnecting the road link with Muridke. Road links and bridges were also washed away by the gushing water in Sialkot and Rajanpur, leaving people stranded, private news channel reported.
According to government officials, three people were killed in flood-related accidents over the last 24 hours while more than 100,000 have been affected. Flood in the River Chenab was crossing the Head Qadirabad where residents have already vacated their places and are facing severe commotion. A bridge was washed away in Sialkot due to high tide in the River Tawi.
More than two-dozen villages of Sialkot and Gujranwala were submerged in floodwater. A flood warning has also been issued for more than 150 villages adjacent to Chiniot near the River Chenab. A similar warning was also issued for five tehsils due to high flood in the River Sutlej.
Furthermore, water levels in both Tarbela and Mangla dams are on the rise. Tarbela Dam water level was recorded at 1,548 feet, which is only two feet below the maximum level, while water intake was 2,35,800 cusecs and discharge 206,500 cusecs and the usable water reserve in the dam stood at 6,467,000 acre feet, sources said. Water level in Mangla Dam has mounted to 1,224 feet, but it is still 18 feet below the maximum level, while water intake was recorded at 46,570 cusecs and discharge at 15,000 cusecs.
Flood warning centres have, meanwhile, forecast more rains for Lahore and Rawalpindi divisions. Rains could be heavy at times in places along the border with India or India-held Kashmir, according to the Met Office. The River Indus at Chashma and River Chenab at Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad were also in high floods. The River Indus at Guddu is likely to be in high flood on August 20 and 21, as 600,000 to 650,000 cusecs water is likely to pass through the area, while there would be high flood in Sukkur barrage between August 21 and 22. Two sisters drowned at Dera Haibat, some 60 kilometres from Muzaffargarh.
According to residents of the area, Shagufta and Nasreen were playing near an embankment when they fell into floodwater of the River Chenab and drowned.
The Met Office has also forecast scattered thunderstorm and rain with heavy falls at isolated places in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Kalat, Zhob, Nasirabad, Sukkur and Larkana divisions along with Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took an aerial view of flood-hit areas near Head Marala, Pasrur, Zafarwal and Qila Ahmedabad. On his arrival at the Sialkot International Airport, the prime minister was given a detailed briefing on the flood situation by the district administration. app
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