JHANG, July 3: The inability of the irrigation authorities to check encroachments on the Jhang flood protective bund (dyke) is creating panic among the residents of adjacent localities.

Residents of Basti Odanwali near the dyke had written an application to the irrigation department executive engineer, asking him to take stock of the construction of a house, shop and a chakki on dyke by Alamgir near Burgi No 52.

They also pointed out that some other people had also started constructing houses on the dyke.

They said this practice would erode the dyke and may prove disastrous in the event of floods.

However, the application failed to evoke any response from the irrigation authorities despite the fact that Jhang DCO Arif Khan had offered help to the XEN for the removal of encroachments.

The affected residents have once again appealed to the Punjab irrigation secretary to personally look into the matter and remove encroachments.