MIANWALI, July 31 Low lying downstream areas on both sides of the River Indus were devastated when more than one million cusec water passing through Jinnah Barrage hit them late on Friday night.

This much flow of water was seen as a serious threat to the structure of Jinnah Barrage and the under-construction Jinnah Hydal Project. Keeping in view these threats, irrigation, district administration and army teams were closely watching the situation. Irrigation officials said that now the flood threatened Chahsma Barrage.

Sheikh Mehmoodwala, Masitwala, Isakhel city, Bhuttanwala, Sheikhabad, Tarag Sharki, Kamar Mushani Kacha, Chenna Poora, Samandwala, Jantiwala, Kacha Khas Omer Khan, Karli, Kukranwala, Mandakhel Kacha, Khudazai Kacha, Jalalppur Kacha, Koy Candna and Kalabagh city in Isakhel tehsil; Wattakhel, Ballokhel, Qadirabad, Madiranwala, Mujahid Town and Shamirabad in Mianwali city and Rokhri, Tarikhel Kacha, Notanga, Dhoop Sari, Samandwala, Tarikhel, Ghundi, Sawans, Paikhel, Chhidro, Hindalwala, Muhammad Sharifwali, Rustamwala, Shamiwala, Uttra Kalan, Basti Shah Gul Muhammad, Kot Belian, Dher Umaid Ali Shah, Daudkhel Kacha, Daudkhel Paka, Paki Shah Mardan and Mari Old in Mianwali tehsil were the localities devastated by the flood. In Piplan tehsil, Kacha Gujrat, Kundian Kacha, Mamowali, Kot Shah Eisa, Kalow, Dinga, Doaba Alluwali and Piplan were affected by the flood.

The chief minister's visit to Mianwali made the district administration set up flood relief camps in Mianwali city in a hurry and made announcements in the affected areas of the city to attract people to relief camps. However, the chief minister did not visit the camps. He returned to the provincial capital just after visiting the flood-affected areas.

Flood affected people of Ballokhel and Wattakhel said they had got nothing to their relief so far. Stranded people were being rescued by their relatives and friends.

The local flood control office said on Saturday evening that water discharge from Jinnah Barrage was 773,228 cusec and from Chashma Barrage 890,634 cusec.

Damaged Mianwali-Bannu road has been closed for traffic for the last four days. As a result, long queues of trucks can be seen on both sides of the road.