DERA GHAZI KHAN, July 31 The district governments of Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur on Saturday sought more boats and choppers for rescue work in flood affected areas after a high level flood in the River Indus.

Section 144 was imposed in Rajanpur district to forcibly shift people from danger zone to safer places.

Hundreds of villages and standing crops were inundated by swelling Indus. As many as 484,000 cusec water was passing through Taunsa Barrage on Saturday and this flow was expected to increase during Saturday night.

Dera Ghazi Khan District Coordination Officer Iftikhar Sahu told Dawn that initially floodwater inundated at least 50 localities. He said army, Rescue 1122, police and revenue department teams were engaged in the rescue work. He said 1,100 people were evacuated from inundated areas of Taunsa and DG Khan tehsils on Saturday. However, hundreds of people were still stranded in the flooded areas.

Dykes have been blown up at various points to decrease the pressure of flood and save Taunsa Barrage and Ghazi Ghat. Army is engaged in rescue work in Kacha areas.

Rajanpur DCO Iftikhar Rasool told Dawn that people of Kacha area had no idea of intensity of the flood therefore they were not ready to leave their areas.—Correspondent