PESHAWAR, June 30: With the River Kabul already in high flood, a gradual surge in the level of Indus is posing a serious threat to Dera Ismail Khan. Authorities in the southern city of the NWFP have declared red alert and are preparing to cope with the increased inflow at the Chashma Barrage and mobilising machinery and equipment to reinforce protection measures.
Officials have warned against what they called the ‘back channel flow phenomenon’, in the River Kabul resulting from the planned release from Tarbela Dam which may aggravate the threat to Nowshera city.
NWFP Flood Warning Centre’s liaison officer Abdul Wali Yousafzai said that the management of the Tarbela Power House had informed the centre that it would be releasing 500,000 cusecs over the next 48 hours, which would increase pressure on the Chashma Barrage.
“The proposed discharge of 500,000 cusecs of water from Tarbela will not only raise the level at Chashma, but also cause back channel flow in River Kabul at Nowshera,” Mr Yousafzai said.
He said that the D.I. Khan district administration had been informed about the rise in water level and directed to take precautionary measures.
The district coordination officer (DCO), D.I. Khan, and military authorities discussed the situation at a meeting and chalked out a plan of action, said the provincial flood relief commission.
In view of the rise in the water level at Chashma, the irrigation department mobilized its staff and machinery to reinforce its 83 spurs and to ensure protection of the Dera city. Officials said that a few spurs were in a dilapidated condition.
According to the officials, the rise in River Kabul broke on Thursday the 1991 record at Warsak Dam where 109,340 cusecs discharge was registered at 5pm and a further increase was feared. The outflow in the River Kabul at Nowshera was 156,500 cusecs. The flood warning centre said that the Shah Alam river was flowing at an extremely high level with a discharge of 18,513 cusecs and the River Swat was also in high flood at Munda and Aman Dara.
The Kabul and Swat rivers, which have been raging for more than a week, inundated more areas in Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera districts, inundating orchards and farm houses and destroying standing crops and mud-houses.
The flood relief commission said that the authorities were providing relief to the affected people.
The federal government dispatched 100 tents, 200 blankets and seven cartons of medicines for the affected people of Nowshera district while relief activities were also under way in Chitral district.
Army troops continued their rescue operation in the flood-hit areas of the three districts. According to the Inter Services Public Relations, over 300 people stranded in the affected areas in Jala Bela, Kodai and Bela Mohmand villages were evacuated in three operations. The Army Medical Corps provided treatment to 250 people.
NWFP Information Minister Asif Iqbal Daudzai, meanwhile, urged international agencies to help the flood-affected people of the province.
He said at a press conference that unprecedented flash floods had caused widespread damage in Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swat and Chitral districts.
He said the provincial government had provided Rs10 million for flood control in the three districts, provided 50,000 sand-bags and set up relief camps. Mobile health teams were also providing treatment to the affected people.
APP adds: The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Thursday released 502,245 cusecs of water from various rim stations.
According to Irsa sources, an overall water inflow from various reservoirs recorded on Thursday was 720,993 cusecs.
Water level at Tarbela Dam was recorded on Thursday at 1506.72 feet. The present water level at the dam is 137 feet higher than the dead level, which is 1369 feet.
The inflow at the dam was recorded at 368,100 cusecs and the outflow at 194,200 cusecs.
The water level at Mangla Dam was recorded at 1181.80 feet which is 141 feet higher than the dead level of 1040 feet.
The inflow at the dam was recorded at 82058 cusecs and the outflow at 37210 cusecs.
The contributions of Kabul and Chenab were recorded at 153300 cusecs and 117535 cusecs respectively.
The position of the river inflows and outflows at Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma along with the reservoirs levels and the barrages on Thursday was reported as follows: Indus at Tarbela, inflow 3,68,100, outflow 1,94,200; Kabul at Nowshera, 1,53,300 and 1,53,300; Indus at Chashma, 2,80,500 and 2,73,400; Jhelum at Mangla, 82,100 and 37,200; Chenab at Marala 1,17,500 and 86,400.
Barrages: Jinnah, 3,17,500 and 3,09,500; Chashma, 2,80,500 and 2,73,400; Taunsa, 2,36,500 and 2,14,000; Guddu, 1,81,400 and 1,42,800; Sukkur 1,09,000 and 52,700; Kotri 28,800.
