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HYDERABAD / SUKKUR A large number of residents of Qasimabad, Hussainabad and units 4, 5, 10 and 11 of Latifabad area of Hyderabad started fleeing their homes on Thursday amid fears that a peak flood would reach the Kotri barrage in four to five days.
Floodwaters entered Garhi Khairo town in Jacobabad at midnight on Wednesday. Efforts made to divert the water to Qambar-Shahdadkot and save the town did not succeed.
As pressure grew on Kotri, people in Qasimabad and Hussainabad made frantic calls to newspaper offices to know the exact situation as rumours started circulating that their localities would be submerged.
According to an official of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority, a surge of 200,000 to 250,000 cusecs will reach Kotri in three to four days.
The barrage authorities are maintaining round-the-clock vigil at five vulnerable points of embankments downstream Kotri -- Hajipur bund in Tando Mohammad Khan and Surjani, Sohna Hayala, Bhagaro Ochtho and Sujawal Munarki bunds in Thatta.
Irrigation officials expressed the hope that water would flow downstream safely. They said the floodwaters coming from Balochistan and Qamber-Shahdadkot would first enter Hamal lake before falling into Manchhar lake through the Main Nara Valley drain.
The water level at Manchhar was recorded at 111.1RL (reduced level). If it reaches the danger level of 117RL, the lake will overflow its embankments as it did in 1994. People in areas between Salaro and Matiari are being evacuated.
Meanwhile, the water level is declining at the Dadu-Moro bridge. The officials said the peak flow had passed the bridge and was heading towards Kotri.
Bao Dero, Old Hala and Bahnote embankments are under threat and people living around the bunds are being evacuated.
Hundreds of people stranded in Garhi Khairo town are being evacuated by army personnel.
Jacobabad is still under six to eight feet of water. Most of the people in the district have moved out. Those who could not leave have taken shelter on the roof of their houses and other high places.
