July 03, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 17, 1428

LAYYAH, July 2: Water from the Indus has flowed into different areas of riverine belt of the district while river erosion is also on the rise at Sumra Nashaib Sumali, it is learnt here.

The Indus has swelled due to recent rains and floodwater entered into riverine belt of the Layyah district which include Channar, Kanjal, Gurmani, Chandiya and Sohbaywala localities at Mauza Sumra Nashaib of Kotla Haji Shah union council. River erosion has also started at Sohbaywala, inundating cotton, sugarcane and vegetable crops over hundreds of acres.

Residents of the riverine area have started shifting to safer places along with their cattle and valuables.

According to the flood control centre, 233,493 cusec water passing downstream at Kala Bagh reached Layyah district on Monday night and this discharge is said to be normal.

Flood control centre in-charge Abdul Rasheed told this correspondent that the Punjab government had issued a warning to the respective departments to be high alert from July 4 to 6 as heavy rains are expected in southern Punjab.

Meanwhile, Kotla Haji Shah UC nazim Dr Javaid Iqbal alleged that the district government did not take steps to protect people from flood in localities of Mauza Sumra Nashaib.