NAROWAL: The heavy rains have caused high level floods in the rainwater drains of Baein and Basantar of the district and fifteen villages have been affected by the floodwater.

A rainwater bridge has been submerged by the floodwater while the transport has stopped using it as the danger of the bridge collapse has increased. Baein drain is overflowing at several places and floodwater has spread into the fields. There is high level of flood in the drain Basantar also. The people living in the vicinity of the drains have started taking protective measures due to the fear of collapse of dams on the rainwater drains.

The rainwater channel coming from India-held Kashmir, which enters Pakistan from the Samba point, also has a high level of flooding and it caused several erosions. The bridge connecting villages of Durman and Ghamrula along the rainwater drain has been submerged by the floodwater. Two to three foot water is flowing over the bridge. The rainwater coming from Kashmir is flowing through Samba village in a fast speed. Due to the high level of flood and fast flow in the rainwater drain, there is a risk of collapse of the link bridge.

Fifteen villages, including Tarapur, Tabba, Chohali, Berriyan, Kohliyan, Denga and Pogur, have been affected by floodwater and crops over hundreds of acres of land have been destroyed.

Family of four saved by Rescue 1122 in Shakargarh

The water level in the Ravi river is also rising. According to the sources in the irrigation department, the water level in the Ravi is likely to rise further on Monday (today) near Jassar Bypass. When the rise in the water level in the Ravi, the floodwater will spread further into the fields.

Meanwhile, four members of a family, including two women, who were stranded in their fields because of a sudden rise in the water level in Baein rainwater drain near Natla Kalan village of Shakargarh tehsil, were rescued by Rescue 1122 on Sunday.

According to Engineer Taimur Hassan, District Emergency Officer, Rescue 1122, Narowal, their control room received a call that four members of a family, including two women, got trapped after water level in the drain suddenly rose.

He said that following the call, a water rescue team from the Shakargarh office of the emergency service was dispatched to the spot where a large number of locals had gathered. He said that the rescuers brought the four persons, identified as Hamza (18), Usman (20), Razia Bibi (55) and Rashida Bibi (25) to safety.

One of the rescued youth, Usman, told the rescuers that they would go to their fields on the left bank of Baein by crossing a shallow portion of the drain every morning and return to the village in the evening. However, he said, on Sunday when they were working the fields, the water level in the drain suddenly rose, leaving them trapped. He said if the water level would have risen further, they might have drowned, adding that some of the village residents timely called the Rescue 1122 that saved him and his family.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2022