MUZAFFARGARH: As the peak deluge of the River Chenab hits Muzaffargarh areas early on Friday, rail and road links connecting the district with Multan will be severed.

Muzaffargarh District Coordination Officer Hafiz Shaukat Ali said on Thursday as soon as the flood level exceeded 550,000 cusecs, the rail section near Chenab West Bank railway station and nearby Muzaffargarh-Multan Road would be inundated.

Another road link through Head Muhammadwala bridge would also be cut off as the authorities have put in cranes to cut off parts of the road near the bridge to create a parallel water channel to mitigate water pressure on the bridge.

The district authorities also ordered the residents of a flood relief camp on the Muzaffargarh embankment to vacate the place as the camp had created problems for the teams manning the main defence line.

Irrigation Executive Officer Rana Afzal said in 1992, the flood discharge in the River Chenab at the Shershah Bridge was 888,000 cusec.

Also, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited Muzaffargarh on Thursday and ordered the administration to evacuate the people from the flood zone either through requests or by force.

Addressing the people in a relief camp at Head Muhmmadwala, he announced Rs100 million for each flood-hit district. He said the flood-hit people would be compensated for their losses within days.

Some residential complained about the lack of tents.

The chief minister sought examination from the Dera Ghazi Khan commissioner. He said he would visit the place once again to see if complainants had been addressed.

Mr Sharif visited medical camps and asked to the health officials to check anti-snake vaccines.

Oxfame Novib officials with Doaba volunteers supplied potable water to the camp residents.

The chief minister also criticised Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri for their sit-ins in the time of floods.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2014