July 05, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 19, 1428

LAYYAH, July 4: River erosion has brought miseries to thousands of residents of Mauza Sumra Nasheeb Shumali of Kotla Haji Shah union council and they have started shifting to safer places.

Reports gathered by Dawn said the erosion of the river Indus had hit hard riverine belt of Kotla Haji Shah union council and the residents of Basti Chan and Basti Juni had started shifting to safer places along with their belongings. A large number of houses have been damaged.

Faqeer Muhammad, an elder of Basti Chan, told this correspondent that his ancestors had been living here for centuries and the waves of Indus had damaged fertile agricultural lands and deprived them of home and hearth.

Residents of Sobawala Basti Kanjal and Basti Chandiya also have started moving to other places.

“I am depressed that I can’t help people of my union council in this hour of trial, but we have mobilised all the resources available to help them in shifting and settling to the safer areas,” UC nazim Dr Javed Iqbal said.

He criticised the government higher-ups for not paying heed to the reminders about the severe river erosion in the area.