DERA GHAZI KHAN: Three people were reported dead on Tuesday after hill torrents played havoc in the district and swept away a portion of the Indus Highway, blocking all kinds of traffic between Peshawar and Karachi.
The hill torrents coming from the Suleman Range displaced more than two lakh people in over 30 villages and devastated various crops over thousands of acres. After a spell of heavy rains in the Pachadh Western Belt of Dera Ghazi Khan and Taunsa Sharif tehsils, the torrents entered over 30 villages. Although the district administration has started rescue operations in different areas with establishment of flood relief camps but due to inaccessibility, the majority of flood victims are sheltering under the open sky along with their families.
The Indus Highway near Pul Qambar Chowki Wala Ahmadani proved to be a blessing for a large number of families sheltering on its both sides while officials have cut the Kachi Canal to divert floodwater which was going out of control.
An official of the Agriculture Department told this scribe that cotton crops had been badly hit besides other standing crops as there was water everywhere over a patch of 40 kilometres in length and 10 kilometres in width.
DG Khan Commissioner Usman Anwar and Deputy Commissioner Anwar Biryar visited the flood-hit areas along with other officials and directed the departments concerned for immediate evacuation of people. They said flood relief camps had been set up in educational institutions.
