0
MIANWALI, Aug 29: Erosion on the left bank of the Indus river due to flood has wreaked havoc on 12 villages in Mianwali tehsil. Torrential rains upstream have led to a low-level flood in the Indus river as a result of which erosion has spread to Utter Kalan, Bakshekhel, Hindalwala, Ahmed Khan wala, Rustam wala, Zarif wala, Malang shah wala, Faize wala, Uttar Kalan Khurd, Dhop Sari, Rokri.
Standing crops of sugar cane and cotton spread over thousands of acres.
The district administration has failed to take precautionary measures. Hundreds of people affected by the erosion have demanded that the steps should be taken to stem the tide of erosion and the abandoned people helped out.
District Nazim Obaidullah Khan Shadikhel said he had visited the affected area and sent bulldozers and technical staff to take steps. He admitted that these efforts would bring temporary relief to the people, adding that he had already sent a proposal to the federal government to construct spur to save the villages from erosion.
He said the moment the government would grant the proposed grant of Rs380 million, work on the project would take off.
RELEASED: The police rescued on Tuesday night a businessman from kidnappers at katcha area of Isakhel tehsil.
On Friday last, Mehr Zaman, a 55-year-old businessman, his son Samiullah and servant Javed were kidnapped from Isakhel when they were on their way home by their motorcycle at Khaglanwala.
The kidnappers abandoned the motorcycle on Mianwali-Bannu Road and took them to katcha area. Later, they demanded Rs2 million ransom through a cell phone and threatened to kill them if the money was not handed over to them within two days.
The police traced the hideout in the marshy area alongside the river and mounted pressure on the kidnappers who released Samiullah and Javed, but kept the businessman in detention.
According to police sources, mounting pressure by the police compelled the kidnappers to release Mehr Zaman.
DPO Malik Abdul Aziz said during the search operation the police had an encounter with the outlaws many times during the last few days and all-out efforts would be made to arrest them.
