MUZAFFARGARH: The administration has started evacuating people along the Chenab sides with the increase in water flow as the district is likely to face high flood within two days.

The administration is yet to set up relief camps for the people.

The irrigation officials and provincial disaster management authority (PDMA) had alerted about the possibility of medium flood in Chenab and Indus rivers. Many dykes had not been completed along the Chenab sides. Already the erosion by both rivers had hit villages along Rangpur and people along Head Mohammed Wala, Sher Shah and Doaba had been evacuated.

Water has inflicted damage on swathes of crops while the villagers and many other families alleged that the administration did not inform them about the situation.

According to Deputy Commissioner Ali Annan Qamar, in coming days the Chenab will swell and high flood is expected. “The administration is busy evacuating people from most dangerous areas and families are reluctant to leave their homes and villages.”

The DC claimed that there was no shortage of vaccine of anti-snake and anti-rabies and a “sufficient stock is available.”

The DC said relief camps would be set up after analysing the water flow.

Fazal Hussain, a resident of Chak Rohari and Fiaz Hussain of Doaba, claimed that already their crops had been submerged by water and there was a threat of increase in flow in coming days.

The irrigation officials said more than half a dozen dykes had been repaired and teams were monitoring the situation.

Officials said the Chenab had capacity of 300,000 cusec water; if the flow increased it would be high flood and then city area would be vacated.

Sources said the staffers were alerted about the possibility of breach in three dykes.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2022