DADU: Over a week of intermittent heavy rain has cut off land link between 270 villages in the district for past three days and led to collapse of a bridge linking Kachho mountainous region with Johi town a day before.

The rainfall raised water level in Manchhar Lake to 115 feet RL (reduced level) on Tuesday from 113 feet RL a day before and caused shortage of medicines, clean drinking water and food in the marooned villages.

The intermittent heavy rain in Khirthar Range of mountains over the past eight days has rapidly filled the lake though natural rain drains (nullahs) of Jhangara, Bajara Naing, Nai Taki, Nai Sol, Nai Nali and Nai Angai.

Mahesh Kumar, engineer of irrigation department posted at the lake, said that if the lake level rose to 116 feet RL it would begin putting pressure on its embankments and might prove dangerous. The department had advised district administrations of Jamshoro and Dadu to urge people living along the lake embankments to shift to safe places as the continuous rain in Khirthar range might spell danger for them, he said.

He said that 500 cusecs of water was drained out of the lake into the river on Monday and 700 cusecs on Tuesday through Aral head canal near Sehwan to keep the lake level within safe limits.

Superintending engineer Mohammad Alam Rahpoto said that flood-fighting material had been brought to FP dyke and lake embankments and he was constantly monitoring Nai Gaj water flows into the lake from his camp to keep the situation under control.

Dadu deputy commissioner Syed Murtaza Ali Shah told reporters the situation was not that bad in Kachho and army personnel had been kept on the standby in case their services were needed.

Despite possible danger to the lake’s embankments from the rising lake level in the wake of continuous rain, local fishermen are overjoyed to see the fresh rainwater filling up the lake.

Moula Bux Mallah, chairman of Manchhar Bachayo Ittehad, said that the rainwater would decrease pollution level in the lake water and help production of fish.

Aslam Mallah, a fisherman, demanded the irrigation department should not drain out the lake water into the river and let the lake fill up with freshwater.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2022