LAYYAH, Aug 19 Recent flood in the Indus has inundated thousands of acres of agricultural lands and washed away various crops worth millions of rupees in Layyah tehsil, besides forcing local population to migrate to safe places, while the district administration sees 'nothing extraordinary' about the calamity. A survey reveals that villages in at least five union councils have been badly affected by the medium-range flood.

Shadu Khan union council area of Nooraywala Kacha and Pakka, Jhiok Hasan Khan and Alyani have been affected badly, besides Kotla Haji Shah union council areas which include Bait Thori, Thind Kalan Nashaib, Sumra Nashaib Junobi and Shumali (south & north).

Mauza Lohanch Nushaib, Dullo Nashaib, Sehmal, Kotla Qazi and Samtia Nashaib of Lohanch Nasaib union council area also among flood-hit areas.

In Jhakhar UC, the affecte areas include Mauza Jhakhar, Kunal Nashaib, Khokharwala Kacha and Pakka and Sairishta Nashaib.

Similarly, in Bait Wasawa Shumali union council, Bait Dewan and Bait Wasawa Khanwala are affected by the flood, while in Bhakhari Ahmed Khan UC Bait Dabali, Guji, Balu and Karlu are inundated by the flood waters.

The sudden flood has damaged crops of sugarcane, paddy, cotton, sesmi seeds and Maash (lentis).

The river belt agriculture is the backbone of the district's economy and the huge losses caused by the flood would multiply the incidence of poverty in the area, says former MPA Meher Fazal Hussein Sumra.

Meanwhile, dozens of families were witnessed shifting their livestock and other belongings to safer places on self-help basis in privately-run boats. Surprisingly, no rescue activity by the local administration was witnessed and nor there were any camps for the flood-hit people.

According to irrigation department, there was still a medium-level flood in the Indus and discharge at the Chasma Barrage stood at 391,000 cusecs on Wednesday. The flood level is likely to increase when Tarbela reservoir will be filled to its capacity by Thursday.

The increase in water flow would bring more destruction and displacements in the river areas, Mr Sumra said.

Former UC Nazim Dr Javed Iqbal maintained some places were inundated by eight to 10 feet deep water which might cause outbreak of various diseases including malaria, gastro, cholera and skin ailments. He said the government had neither established health relief camps in the affected areas nor started vaccination of animals so far.

DCO Javed Iqbal, however, claimed it was a routine flood and there was nothing to worry about.

“We have made all necessary arrangements and have taken measures to fight the flood,” he added.