SIALKOT: Farmers along the River Tavi have demanded that the government declare their villages calamity-hit areas and waive their agricultural loans and water cess.

Several farmers from villages Panwaal, Jhumiyaan Dalalaan, Bara Dari, Suhailpura, Beli, Jhumiyaan Sulehriyaan, Resmaan, Patwaal Khurd and Saalehpur told Dawn that flash flood in the River Tavi had ruined their paddy crops on more than 2,500 acres.

They said the flooding had left behind dunes of sand in their fertile farms turning them barren. Under dunes was buried the paddy crop, which most of the tenants had cultivated with loans from the bank.

Several tenants also demanded compensation, saying though they were the first-hand sufferers of the flooding, financial compensation by the government was to go to land owners.

They demanded that the Punjab government announce a package for the tenants as well.

COMPENSATION: Gujranwala Commissioner Khwaja Shamail Ahmed said on Monday the Punjab government had distributed Rs127 million among the heirs of 79 people who died in the recent flood in Gujranwala division. Ninety people lost their lives during the raging flood, torrential rains, roof collapsing and other related incidents in Gujranwala division.

At a meeting at the Sialkot DCO office, the commissioner said the remaining families would get financial compensation in the next couple of days.

He said 79 people were injured seriously in the division while 899 villages and 481,738 acres were affected. The houses completely damaged in floods were 1,182 and partially damaged 9,850.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2014