Floods damage seven dams, 11 bridges in Balochistan

QUETTA/SUKKUR: Flash floods triggered by the heavy monsoon rains have damaged seven dams and 11 important bridges in Balochistan with the death toll rising to 127.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), seven dams have been damaged while others have been filled to their capacity. Many areas have been inundated and their communication with the cities has been cut off.

Meerani Dam in Turbat has overflowed due to which the spillways have been opened. The dam’s highest level is 244 feet while the current level stands at 246 feet. The water level in the Hub Dam is 339 feet. The spillway limit is 350 feet. The highest water level in Shadi Kor Dam, Gwadar, is 54 meters, while the current water level is 51.34 meters.

Meanwhile, the water level at Guddu Barrage has increased by 20,000 cusecs during the 24 hours. Tarbela, Chashma, Taunsa, Guddu and Sukkur barrages have low level flood.

The Sukkur Barrage has become the centre point of unidentified bodies, as four more bodies, including of a woman, were recovered on Sunday. Reports said 27 unidentified bodies have been recovered during the last eight days from the Sukkur Barrage. These were stuck in the gates of the barrage.

The Pakistan Army and Pakistan Air Force personnel and helicopter fleet are actively engaged in providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support to the stranded people in the province. According to the PAF spokesperson, helicopters have distributed 4,200 kilograms of ration, comprising flour, ghee, sugar, lentils, tea etc, in the calamity-hit areas during the last two days. Additionally, several families have been evacuated from landlocked areas to safer places.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Army relief efforts continue in the flood-hit areas of various districts across the country. According to ISPR, relief activities are underway in Gandhawa and army medical camp have treated 115 patients in the area.

In Khuzdar, the M8 highway is still cut off, while work is being carried on to restore the connectivity, the ISPR said. Moreover, a field medical camp has been established by the CMH Khuzdar and FC in Hafizabad. Around 145 people have been treated so far. Ration and cooked food have also been distributed among flood victims.

The army’s media wing said Bab-e-Dosti in Chaman was fully functional; however, N 40 in Noshki was damaged at three places but after the repair work traffic had resumed.

Cooked meals have been served to the affected people in Noshki, while 1500kgs of ration has been distributed in Hub and Uthal. The General Officer Commanding in Gwadar also visited Hub and Uthal.

In Mardan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a maximum of 133mm rain has been recorded followed by Mohmand with 85mm. In southern Punjab, all hill torrents are flowing normally except some increased flow in Mithawan Kaha and Sanghar Hill torrents. Local army commanders have also visited Rajanpur and DG Khan.

Following the heavy torrential rains and flash floods in different parts of the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the federal government has taken a lead role in the rescue and relief operations. The federal government is providing the much-needed humanitarian assistance — including food and non-food items — to thousands of flood victims. Besides the provincial departments and Rescue 1122, officials of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Highway Authority (NHA), troops of Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force and Frontier Corps, Sunday expedited the rescue and rehabilitation operations in the flood-hit areas.

Two mudslides were reported in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) near Sikandarabad on the Karakorum Highway (KKH) where the road was opened for one way traffic by the Frontier Works Organization (FWO).

PML-N KP spokesman and Member Provincial Assembly Ikhtiar Wali told APP that despite official engagements, the prime minister had visited the flood-hit areas of Balochistan, where he personally reviewed rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures. He said the prime minister met with the flood victims in Shambani village of Jhal Magsi, and directed the departments concerned to establish a medical camp and ensure provision of medicines to the people of the village. The prime minister ordered the posting of a veterinary doctor for the livestock, and asked the authorities to immediately arrange rations and two boats for the villages and speed up the relief activities, he added.

In line with the prime minister’s directions, he said, the chief secretary of Balochistan had immediately sent additional teams for relief activities in the flood affected areas. A medical camp was established, relief goods and medicines were delivered, and a veterinary doctor arrived in the Shambani village, he added. Ikhtiar said that the federal government would give Rs1 million each to the families of those who lost their lives during floods. The provincial government would also give Rs1 million to the bereaved families.

Ikhtiar said the federal government would also give Rs500,000 each for the destroyed houses and Rs200,000 each for the partially-damaged houses.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Communications Maulana Asad Mahmood visited the flood-hit areas of Peshawar and directed the authorities concerned to expedite relief and rehabilitation operations. The minister said the federal government was standing with the flood victims of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and would continue efforts till rehabilitation of the last affected person.

Meanwhile, Adviser to the prime minister on Political and Public Affairs Engineer Amir Muqam visited the Orakzai district where he reviewed floods and rain damages. He met with the affected people of the merged districts and assured them of full support.

In Dadu and Juhi areas of Sindh, as many as 200 villages and rural communities’ land link with the main areas was disrupted due to flooding in Nai Gaj and Nai Nali. The land link of scores of villages and towns in Kachho, including Chhinni Wahi Pandhi Haji Khan and Drigh Bala, has been severed owing to flash floods.

At least five persons, including children, have died in the area due to the outbreak of gastroenteritis and diarrhea. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has forecast “above-normal” rainfall in most parts of the country in August. The heavy rainfall can trigger flash floods in the hilly areas of eastern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as well as urban flooding in plain areas such as major cities of the country’s southern Sindh province, Punjab and KP, the department said in its outlook for August. “Due to extreme hydro-meteorological events over catchments, riverine floods cannot be ruled out,” it added.

According to a water report issued by the WAPDA on Sunday, the position of the river inflows and outflows at Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma along with the reservoir levels and the barrages is as under. Rivers: Indus at Tarbela: Inflows 310,600 cusecs and Outflows 257,900 cusecs, Kabul at Nowshera: Inflows 103,400 cusecs and Outflows 103,400 cusecs, Jhelum at Mangla: Inflows 48,700 cusecs and Outflows 10,000 cusecs, Chenab at Marala: Inflows 94,300 cusecs and Outflows 77,000 cusecs. Barrages: Jinnah: Inflows 259,400 cusecs and Outflows 255,900 cusecs, Chashma: Inflows: 341,400 cusecs and Outflows 333,400 cusecs, Taunsa: Inflows 298,900 cusecs and Outflows 292,900 cusecs, Panjnad: Inflows 97,000 cusecs and Outflows 91,600 cusecs, Guddu: Inflows 311,600 cusecs and Outflows 286,100 cusecs Sukkur: Inflows 261,600 cusecs and Outflows 222,000 cusecs Kotri: Inflows 141,000 cusecs and Outflows 114,600 cusecs. Reservoirs (Level and Storage): Tarbela: Minimum operating level 1,398 feet, present level 1,529.00 feet, maximum conservation level 1,550 feet, live storage today 4.654 million acre feet (MAF). Mangla: Minimum operating level 1,050 feet, present level 1,151.20 feet, maximum conservation level 1,242 feet, live storage today 1.824 MAF.