GUJRANWALA: Corn crops and vegetables on 41,000 acres were swept away in 118 villages of Wazirabad and Kamoki tehsils due to breaches in dykes along the River Chenab and nullahs Pulkho and Deg in recent floods, says District Coordination Officer (DCO) Azmat Mahmood.

At a meeting, the DCO directed the health authorities to survey flood-hit villages and collect water samples as in many areas water was contaminated.

The DCO took up the issue after reports that hand pump water samples collected from 40 Wazirabad and 30 Kamoki villages turned out to be contaminated. The health authorities sent 63 samples of water to a Lahore laboratory where of them 40 were declared unfit for human consumption. The health authorities said the installation of filtration plants and water supply motors in flood affected villages were imperative to avoid epidemics.

Also, the officials said, flood affected villages were being sprayed to cull dengue larvae. District Health Officer Dr Ehsanullah said the health department had already set up medical camps in flood-affected areas where senior medical officers were treating the people.

The livestock department fielded 14 teams to vaccinate animals in flood-hit areas of Wazirabad.

Published in Dawn, September 20th , 2014