MULTAN: District Coordination Officer Zahid Saleem Gondal has said there is no flood threat to the urban population of Multan.

He was talking to the media at Qasim Bela Flood Bund here on Tuesday.

The DCO said: “So far the Chenab water level in Multan district is 300,000 cusec while discharge of 500,000 cusec has been reported at Head Marala and there are chances of high flow at Chenab Bridge.”

He said the district administration was forcibly shifting the people who refused to move to higher places.He said arrangements had been made to breach the protective dykes; however breach would only made when the flow would be over one million cusec.

“Head Muhammadwala has the discharge capacity of one million cusec and the situation will be alarming in case of combine thrust of Jhelum and Chenab,” he said.

The DCO said all the protective dykes were being monitored carefully and technical staff had also been deployed to fill the breach in case of any emergency.

He said the district government was ready to face any untoward situation and more than 80 per cent population of riverine belt had been shifted to safer grounds while five companies of Pakistan Army had taken control of the riverine belt.

He said teams of civil defence, Rescue 1122 and other departments were shifting the people from the flood-ravaged areas.

He said relief camps and tent villages had been established where all required stuff including medicines and food for both humans and animals were provided.

He urged the people to cooperate with the teams of district administration.

Besides the Qasim Bela Flood Bund, the DCO also visited Wasti Muhammadpur Ghota, Bund Bosan and Sher Shah Bund and helped the people shift to safer places.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2014