SUKKUR/LARKANA/HYDERABAD: Many ministers and scores of senior officials of different departments on Friday intensified their efforts to ensure people’s safety and protection of their properties. They visited Guddu and Sukkur barrages and a number of flood protective bunds to inspect their state and strength.
They also kept a watchful eye on the water level at the two barrages which are very likely to pass ‘high flood’ within the next few days.
Sindh Minister for Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro, Minister for Energy Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Focal Person for Flood and Rain Emergency Mukesh Kumar Chawla along with senior officials and executive engineers of Guddu and Sukkur barrages assessed the water inflow situation at these major installations and also reviewed the safety arrangements made to cope with the potential flood threat.
They held a meeting with all senior officials and engineers concerned at Guddu Barrage. MPA Haji Abdul Rauf Khan Khoso as well as relevant federal government officials also attended the meeting.
Chief Engineer Sardar Shah of the irrigation department briefed the meeting about the flood situation and described it as ‘moderate’ till the moment (Friday evening).
He said that the expected highest level at Guddu Barrage could be estimated once the high flood reached Panjnad.
Later, Jam Khan Shoro told the media that a big volume of floodwater was coming from Chenab River.
He said that the water level at Head Marala had increased by 900,000 cusecs, and after it passed through Trimmu, the Punjab government had been applying cuts to divert the deluge and spread it out according to the capacity of the barrages.
He said that once the water from the three rivers reached Panjnad, it would be possible to estimate how much water will pass through the Guddu Barrage.
He guessed that the peak flood could enter the barrage on Tuesday or Wednesday (Sept 2 or 3).
He said that Sindh government was prepared to deal with high-level flood.
He said that the government was in constant touch with President Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and CM Syed Murad Ali Shah.
He said the irrigation department had been monitoring situation and working on flood protective buns ever since the 2010 floods.
He said that the embankments had been fortified and were now strong enough to bear the flood pressure.
The minister said that people from the katcha areas would be evacuated once the floodwater hit Panjnad.
The ministers and officials also visited various dykes in Larkana, Naushahro Feroze and other districts to inspect their strength.
In Hyderabad, a meeting was held under chairmanship of Minister for Auqaf and Focal Person for Kotri Barrage downstream flood emergency Riaz Hussain Shah Shirazi in the office of the barrage’s chief engineer on Friday.
It was attended by MNA Sadiq Ali Memon, MNA Tariq Shah Jamot, President PPP Hyderabad division Aajiz Dhamra, CM’s Special Assistant Jabbar Khan, MPA Dr Sikandar Ali Shoro, Tanveer Haider Shah Shirazi, Madad Ali Shah Kazmi, Ghulam Nabi alias Nabi Baber and others.
Besides Riaz Shah Shirazi, the meeting was attended by Commissioner Hyderabad Fayaz Abbasi, DC Jamshoro Ghazanfar Ali Qadri, DC Hyderabad Zain Ul Abiden Memon, officers of irrigation department and other officials.
The focal person was briefed by irrigation officials about downstream Kotri situation and preventive measures. The meeting emphasised effective steps for safeguarding public lives and property and resolved that departments would remain on high alert to respond promptly to any potential threat. Later, the minister along with other officials and public representatives inspected protective embankments of Indus River. He told journalists that floodwater from India would enter Sindh from Punjab and Sindh was facing a flood situation identical to that of 2010 and 2015.
“Downstream discharge at Kotri barrage is 253,000 cusecs. All protective measures have been completed and situation is under control,” he said. He explained it would take seven to eight days for floodwater to reach from Sukkur to Kotri after which situation would become clearer.
He cautioned that if water discharge reached 500,000 cusecs at Kotri, the riverine (katcha) areas would not remain safe. However, he added alerts have been issued to surrounding populations and that comprehensive preparations are in place to deal with flood emergency. He said at three vulnerable points — including Sarjani and Monarki — protective arrangements have been finalised. Sindh government, he said, was prepared to provide protection to people.
Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2025