NAROWAL: Three houses have been demolished and 15 more are at a high risk of damage due to erosion of Nullah Baeen in Shakargarh’s Punjorha village.

Erosion is at its peak due to downpour these days. The drain used to be 700 meters away from the village four years ago. The recent heavy rains and high water level is resulting in erosion on a daily basis.

The residents of more than 100 houses of the village have time and again requested the MPA, MNA and the district administration to take measures to stop erosion but to no avail.

As a stopgap measure, sand-filled sacks were placed on the bank of the drain to stop the erosion but the fast flow of water caused the sacks to drift away.

There is again high level of water in the drain and it is eroding the soil of the village. The locals have tried to stop the erosion on their own and are awaiting official help.

Many people including Baba Muhammad Sharif and Shahid Khan told Dawn that the erosion of soil by Nullah Baeen was causing financial losses and had put the lives of thousands of people in danger.

Overflowing drain puts lives of people in danger

Gulzar Ahmad and Muhammad Riaz said they had informed in writing the Shakargarh assistant commissioner and Narowal deputy commissioner about the dangers the erosion of soil posed to the villagers but their requests had fallen on deaf ears.

People have protested against non-cooperation of the district administration and demanded that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar take immediate notice of the situation and direct the district administration to take measures to stop soil erosion.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2019