July 12, 2003	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 11, 1424

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DADU, July 11: The residents of at least 200 villages are facing difficulties as link roads in the Kachho and Kohistan areas remain inundated ever since it rained.

The water level has risen in the Manchhar Lake for the first time since 1995. At least 50 houses were washed away by the flooding waters of the Nain Gaj on Friday. However, no loss of life was reported.

The Kachho area along the Khirthar range and Kohistan received rainfall which continued for 11 hours on Thursday night.

The water flow in the Nain Gaj has reached 12 feet. Ten other small Nalas, including Drigh Nain, Sukh Nain, Panj Nain, Haji Khan Nain, Gaj Suloos Nain, and Sajan Je Pai Nain were also flowing in full swing.

The rushing waters of Nain Gaj and other Nullahs has washed away many portions of link roads in the Kachho area and it has inundated some 100 small link roads.

The communication system to 200 villages of the western belt of Dadu district was cut off on Friday. Transportation links to these villages has also been cut off.

These villages include Patt Suleman, Safi Mohammad Lund, Wahid Pandhi, Tando Raheem, Thal, Sawaro, Bahlil Shah, Fazal Jamali, Pario Jamali, Shahak Rodhnani, Shafi Mohammad Lund, Fato Brohi, Khando Babar, Drigh Bala, Hero Khan, Qasbo, Chhiddi, Jano Jiskani, and Sher Mohammad Talpur among others.

The flow of water was rising at the RD Nos 50 to 62 of the flood protective bund, while RD-45 and RD Nos90 to 190 are said to be sensitive points.

The water level has risen in the Manchhar Lake upto the level of 107.7ft. Reaching the level of 120ft is considered to be dangerous.

The officials of the irrigation department, including Superintendent Engineer Nazir Ahmed Mughal, Executive Engineer Habibullah Kabooro and District Coordination Officer Aijaz Ahmed Mangi, have visited the sensitive points of the flood protective bund, Manchhar Lake and other areas of Johi.

Heavy machinery and other equipment to control floods have been deployed at the different points of the bunds.

The president, Village Shadabad Organization, Akbar Lashari, said that a population of 250,000 of some 200 villages were facing difficulties as they had been cut off from the rest of the world.

He said that no team of the health department, district administration and donor agencies had reached any part of the area as yet.

The Nazim, Union Council Chhinni, Ghulam Ali Khan Shahani, said that 30 houses in the Sher Mohammad Talpur village were washed away when the Nala was flooded on Friday.

A worker of the Health Community Centre, Fato Brohi village, Mumtaz Ali Panhwar, said that many diseases had spread after the rainfall in the western belt of the district.

WATER LEVEL: The DCO, Dadu, Aijaz Ahmed Mangi, said that the water level in the Manchhar Lake was rising day by day.

He said that relief good would be soon distributed among the affected villagers.

FLOOD CONTROL: The flood control in charge of the irrigation department, Gulfam Ali Lashari, said that the water of the Nain Gaj had entered Manchhar as a result of which its water level was rising.

He said that the water had reached a level of 107.7 ft at the RD-62 of Manchhar Lake.

AFFECTED PEOPLE: The provincial minister for revenue, Haji Altaf Hussain Unnar, has directed the district administration, Dadu, particularly the revenue officials, to prepare a list of the people of the Kachho, Kohistan and hilly areas of the district who have been affected by the rain.

He was presiding over a meeting of the revenue and district administration officers at the irrigation rest house, Sehwan, on Friday.

The DCO, Dadu, Aijaz Mangi, Nazims of the union councils and officials of different departments also attended the meeting.

He said that wheat and other relief goods would be distributed among the affected people of Kachho, Kohistan and hilly areas.

Earlier, the DCO, Aijaz Ahmed Mangi, briefed the provincial minister about the situation in Kachho, Kohistan and hilly areas.