DERA GHAZI KHAN: Administrations of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur lack funds, manpower and resources to run rescue and rehabilitation works in vast flooded areas of both the districts, it is learnt.

The inter-provincial Dera-Quetta Road has been closed for last five days, leading to suspension edibles supply to Balochistan and Punjab as more than 3,000 trucks are stuck on the highway An official said they did not have required machinery and funds to clear the highway hit by a landslide.

A large number of people in both the districts have been besieged by flood as link roads and bridges have been swept away. The lack of access to stranded people may trigger food crisis.

Former IB chief and tribal elder of Gorchani tribe Akhar Hassan Gorchani told Dawn the displaced people were running out of food. The district administration has sought helicopter services for rescue and relief operations in difficult areas of the mountainous Sulaiman Range.

Indus Highway breached to save Rajanpur city

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Anwar Briar said he had sough a helicopter from Pakistan Army through an official requisition. The flooding caused by torrential rains has cut off road networks in the Sulaiman Range, making it difficult for the administration to deliver tents, dry ration and other relief goods.

People have been trapped in flood water and are waiting for our help. There is an urgent need for helicopter service in Kharr Buzdar, Barthi Zain, Jhandi, Bailpathar and other areas. It is necessary to deliver relief goods to Fort Munro and other adjacent areas.

The district administration also demanded that more field staff and rescuers be sent to Dera Ghazi Khan with helicopters. He said Political Assistant of Koh-i-Sulaiman Mohammad Ikram was appointed as the focal person for the helicopter service. He said the field force of the district administration was active in the plains.

Following high flood in Chhachar hill torrent, high alert has been announced for Rajanpur city. The Indus Highway was breached to divert water to save Rajanpur at the cost of inundation of dozens of villages and standing crops.

There is a serious threat of high flood in Indus due to hill torrents in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur. DGK Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Anwar Baryar said over 800,000 cusec flood was expected in the river on Monday (today) and it might inundate areas along. He said 300,000 people and 200 villages might be affected by the river Indus.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2022