NAROWAL: A local man has started charging people for helping them cross the rainwater drain of Baen on a boat in Narowal. The protective embankment and bridge over the drain at Bheko Chak had broken.

Thousands of people, including children and women, used to go to the towns of Noorkot, Narowal, and other areas every day by crossing the Baen bridge. The collapse of the bridge cut off the land connection of more than 40 villages including Fatehpur Afghan, Baramangah, Malikpur, Jagatpur and Kot Nainan with Noorkot.

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The residents of these villages used this bridge to go to work, offices, shopping and hospitals. It was used by the students too. In absence of the bridge, the locals are facing difficulties in transportation.

Seeing an opportunity of business, Muhammad Munshi, a local man, has made a raft with the help of plastic drums and he is charging Rs30 per person to cross the rainwater drain Baen on the makeshift boat.

Local journalist Muhammad Waseem told Dawn that the rainwater drain Baen is 20 to 25 feet deep.

“The rainwater drain is flowing rapidly. Munshi is making the citizens cross the drain without life jackets. The makeshift water boat system is a big threat to the lives of citizens.”

He said the district administration should build a temporary bridge across the Baen drain with the help of the army to facilitate thousands of people. The road connecting the villages near to the border near Jassar on the Narowal-Shakargarh road has also been washed away by the flood.

Due to the road collapse, the land connection of the villages of Nangli, Doaba and Fassipur with Narowal has been cut off. Rescue 1122 water boats are being used to provide transportation facilities to the citizens. The high level flood in the Ravi River was also washed away at village Ransiwal at three places.

The land connection of eight border villages Chandianwali, Dudhewali, Basiwala, Chelewali, Qalandarabad and Ran has been cut off from Narowal. The flood relay created 15 to 20 feet deep holes on the road. The locals have made a temporary system by tying cots with ropes to cross the floodwater.

Muhammad Akbar and Fazal Mahmood told Dawn that a resident of our village had died at the District Headquarters Hospital Narowal during the high-level flood in the Ravi. They said that the body was lying in the hospital for four days due to the flood as the roads were broken.

Narowal Deputy Commissioner Syed Hassan Raza told Dawn the district administration was taking steps for the restoration of roads. He claimed that the flood victims were being provided with food, medicine, accommodation, electricity, clean drinking water, fodder for animals and medicine at the flood relief camps. He said the district administration was providing basic facilities to the flood victims on a priority basis by utilising all resources.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2025