KARACHI, Aug 12: A high flood peak is heading towards the Guddu Barrage, where River Indus was flowing in medium flood, while it is in low flood at Sukkur and flowing normally at Kotri.

According to the Irrigation Department’s latest flood situation report, high flood was expected to pass Guddu while medium flood was likely to pass Sukkur during the next 24 hours.

According to the report, at 6am on Saturday, the river discharge upstream Guddu was recorded at 495,917 cusec; at Sukkur 392,958 cusec and Kotri 157,141 cusec. The downstream discharge was recorded at 475,664, 300,463 and 134,823 at the three barrages, respectively.

Protective embankments on both sides of the River Indus were safe and intact.

In Ubaro, thousands of villagers were stranded and hundreds of houses damaged after flood inundated the Katcha area.

Sources accused the district administration of having taken no steps to rescue and shift the people to safer places.

GOC witnesses relief exercises

Meanwhile, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Pano Aqil Garrison, Maj-Gen Mumtaz Ahmad Bajwa observed the army’s flood relief exercise at Sadhu Bela near Sukkur on Saturday.

The exercise was part of the army’s effort to demonstrate its ability to swiftly help people affected by floods.

The relief exercise demonstrated the coordination between army troops and members of the local Civil Defence Organisation.

The GOC was also briefed by irrigation authorities about the latest flood situation at the Sukkur Barrage.

In a related development, Maj-Gen Mumtaz Ahmed Bajwa called upon nazims of the union councils in the Katcha areas of Larkana district to motivate people in their respective areas to immediately shift to safer places.

He was attending a briefing held here to review the flood situation in katcha areas, specially at the Akil-Aghani Loop Bund, some 10 kilometres from here

The briefing was given by the commanding officer of 43 Punjab Regiment of Pano Akil Garrison, DCO, DPO and EDO (Health) Larkana and the chief engineer of the Right Bank Sukkur Barrage.

The GOC also visited areas between Larkana-Sehwan Protective Bund, near Moenjodero and Akil-Aghani Loop Bund and the 56-kilometre-long range of river’s right bank.

He directed officials of the irrigation department to ensure that the required material and machinery is available at sensitive points, including the Nusrat Loop Bund, Akil-Aghani Loop Bund and Abad Mangali Bund.—PPI/APP