RAWALPINDI, July 9: Sihala police on Friday booked the chief executive of a private housing scheme (Behria Town) and arrested 46 labourers, including the works manager, on charges of illegally diverting the Soan river that, police said, could cause massive loss of life and property during floods.

Mohammad Hussain Lasi, the SHO Sihala police station, told this reporter that a case under Section 109 had been registered against Malik Riaz Hussain, the chief executive of Behria Town, while 46 labourers, including the works manager Chaudhry Fiaz, had been arrested on charges of diverting Soan river and illegally constructing a bridge.

A police party led by the assistant commissioner, rural, Doctor Sajid Chohan arrived in Sihala and rounded up the workers who were diverting the river, police said, adding that it could endanger the life of many people during flooding.

The district administration on Friday said the management of Bahria Town was illegally constructing a bridge on Soan river. A spokesman for the district magistrate said the management of the private housing scheme and their workers were caught while constructing a bridge on the river illegally. He said the river bed had narrowed down from 1,800 feet to about 700 feet due to illegal construction of the bridge.

He said the bridge could endanger the life and property of the people in many villages on the bank of the river like Sihala, Niazian, Bagh Sihala, Humak, Arra, Java, Burgl and Dhoke Kala during floods.