June 20, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 04, 1428

PESHAWAR, June 19: With the monsoon approaching fast, the federal government has asked the provinces to take measures to minimise losses due to flooding.

An official said the federal government had issued a list to districts, identifying areas likely to be hit by floods. The government has indicated extreme high level flood in 21 districts, high level flood in 26 districts and moderate flood in 12 districts. It has urged the districts concerned to take measures to cope with post-flood epidemics.

The official said 15 districts in the NWFP, 14 in Balochistan, 23 in Punjab, 12 in Sindh and one in the Federally Administered Northern Areas were particularly at risk.

He said six districts in the NWFP were at the risk of extreme high flood, three of high flood and six of moderate flood. In Balochistan, six districts could see extreme high level flood, five high level and three moderate level flooding.

He said seven districts in Punjab could face extreme high level flood, 14 districts were at the risk of high level flood and two moderate level flood. One district in Sindh could witness extreme high level of flood, four could face high level flood and seven were at the risk of moderate level flood.

The official said Chitral, Shangla, Battagram, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Swat, Buner, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Charsadda and Karak in the NWFP could face flood.

In Balochistan, Sibi, Zhob, Jhal Magsi, Qila Abdullah, Mastung, Kharan, Gwadar, Loralai, Pishin, Quetta, Kalat, Lasbela, Qila Saifullah, Ziarat and Chaghi are at the risk of flood.

Punjab has been warned of floods in Jhang, Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffar Ghar, Multan, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Khushab, Mianwali, Bhakar, Khanewal, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Sargodha and Sahiwal. In Sindh, Thatta, Ghotki, Sukkur, Dadu, Karachi, Kashmore, Jacobabad, Larkana, Qambar, Khairpur, Jamshoro and Badin may face flooding.