LAHORE, July 8: Areas on the Ravi bed housing over 100,000 people are threatened by the rising floodwater. The localities having around 10,000 houses and three union councils sprang up during the 1980’s in connivance with the irrigation department officials, who built an embankment for protecting the city from flood. They, however, allowed development of colonies on the river bed without the approval of the site plans.
The department further objected to the issuance of notices for the approval of site plans to the inhabitants of the colonies by former Data Ganj Bakhsh town nazim Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan in 2003, informing him that the localities were situated in the area under its control.
According to a Flood Warning Centre report, the Ravi’s discharge at Shahdara had increased to 29,130 and was further rising. The existing discharge posed no threat, but any increase in it could flood the localities. The river water has already entered the houses in Farrukhabad.
Meanwhile, the meteorological department forecast light rain for the city on Saturday (today).
DCO Khalid Sultan, the City District Government Lahore caretaker, on Friday ordered arrangements for flood warning in the localities and advised the people to shift to safer places.
The DCO was informed that the 16 flood relief centres had started functioning and the staff of different government departments were present there to cope with emergencies round the clock.
The Sindh river was in low flood at Kalabagh with a discharge of 273,171 cusecs. The water discharge at Taunsa was 446,004 cusecs and the level was dropping. The river was in medium flood at Chashma with 335,033 cusecs discharge and the water level was rising.
The Chenab water discharge at Mangla was 213,323 cusecs and was decreasing. Discharges at Khanki and Qadirabad were 361,078 cusecs and 337,613 cusecs, respectively, with the water levels increasing.
A threat of high flood in low-lying areas on both sides of the river has been averted for the time being.
The Sutlej was in low flood with a 4,085-cusec discharge at Qila Suba Singh and the water level was rising.