SUKKUR, Sept 17: A flood threat to Jacobabad was averted when rainwater surging down the hilly areas of Balochistan was diverted on Monday.

Pakistan People’s Party MNA Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani along with officials of the district administration made a cut near the village of Jatoi located at the bypass of Jacobabad adjacent to Balochistan and laid four-foot-diameter pipes to divert the flow of floodwaters towards the Heer-uddin drain.

According to reports reaching here, from the drain the floodwaters, passing through Khanpur Road and Jhal Magsi in Balochistan, would reach the Hamal lake in Qambar-Shahdadkot district before finding its way into the Manchhar Lake.

It was said that the cut would reduce the pressure of rainwater as well as of floodwater released due to breaches surging towards Jacobabad.

Mr Jakhrani told reporters that the cut had been made at the bypass of Jacobabad, bordering Balochistan, due to the floodwaters rushing towards it.

He said Jacobabad was now safe. He said it was essential to give way to the floodwaters. He also said it was the moral responsibility of elected representatives to serve people in this difficult situation, otherwise they would be held accountable in the next general elections. He said he would appeal to the party leadership to take action against those elected representatives who were not taking care of people of their constituencies in this crisis.

Road communication between Jacobabad and Balochistan was cut off as the Jacobabad-Dera Allah Yar road was closed to all kinds of heavy and light traffic due to an increase of floodwater pressure.The rainwater was around the Jacobabad city due to which road communication between different villages could not be restored and thousands of villagers were facing problems. The administration did not start operation to shift them to safer places and supply them relief goods, ration and medicines.

Deputy Commissioner of Jacobabad Rafique Ahmed Buriro visited the city areas and issued strict directives for pumping out stagnant water from the city after which heavy machinery was installed in different localities which started working in the evening.

A large number of men and women held a demonstration on the old college road in protest against non-supply food and other relief goods from the administration. The angry protesters pelted police mobile vans with stones and broke their window screens.

Protesters dispersed peacefully when Mr Jakhrani reached the spot and held out the assurance that relief goods would be supplied.