PESHAWAR, June 21: The NWFP government has set up emergency cells in three districts, including Peshawar, after the water level in Kabul river registered an alarming increase, officials said. An irrigation department official told Dawn on Tuesday that people living along the river bank had been asked to leave their homes and move to safe areas.

In a related development, the provincial flood relief commission has declared 18 points vulnerable and directed the authorities concerned to remove encroachments and obstructions along the river beds and banks to avoid losses.

“Emergency cells have been set up in Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera as the administrations in these three districts have been put on high alert to cope with disaster,” said an official of the provincial flood relief commission.

Announcements have been made from mosques in different parts of the districts to advise residents to leave their homes. However, there were no reports about displacement of the local population.

According to an official on duty at Warsak dam’s control room, the water flow in Kabul river rose to 84,960 cusecs at 12pm on Tuesday but decreased to 77,000 cusecs at 4.30pm. The control room recorded a total 83,480 cusecs at Warsak at 10am on Tuesday.

He said although the water level in the river was gradually decreasing, the people living along the river banks were still under threat. Officials in the irrigation department attributed the sudden rise in the flow of Kabul river to the current heat wave, which also swept upper parts of the country.

“The water level may increase if the heat wave continues in the region,” they said. They recalled that in 1960 the water level of the river reached 119,000 cusecs which caused major disaster in the plain areas of the province.

The provincial relief commissioner issued a notification here on Tuesday, calling for pre-emptive measures for the monsoon floods.

The notification said that unprecedented heavy rains/ snowfall have taken place during the winter. Because the snow accumulated over the hills has begun to melt, it said, the water level in the rivers has increased.

The commissioner has issued instructions to those actively involved in flood management to minimise the loss to property and life within their territorial jurisdiction.