TOBA TEK SINGH: Lack of clean drinking water and regular food supplies in some heavily-flooded rural settlements is a major problem facing the affected people.

The river Ravi flooded hundreds of villages in Tandlianwala tehsil of Faisalabad, Kamalia and Pirmahal tehsils of Toba Tek Singh district, Shorkot and Ahmadpur Sial tehsils of Jhang district and Abdul Hakim, Kabirwlala and Mian Channu tehsils of Khanewal.

Locals say this scale of devastation had never been experienced even in two extraordinary floods in the river Ravi back in 1992 and 2014.

The present flood not only caused suspension of rail traffic on the Faisalabbad-Khanewal section but also closed traffic on three main roads of Toba Tek Singh district -- from Kamalia to Chichawatni and Harapa and from Pirmahal to Abdul Hakim through Sidhnai barrage.

A Bailey bridge has been made functional with effect from Thursday (today) at Adda Kalaira at the place where floodwater had breached the Chichawatni Road in Kamalia tehsel but only light traffic can pass.

Villagers all praise for Rescue 1122 staff

Trucks, trailers and buses are using Maripattan bridge on the Ravi via Samundri or Tandlianwala to go to Sahiwal, Chichawatni, Vehari, Multan and Karachi.

When Mai Safooran spur on the river was breached on Sept 3 to save Head Sidhnai, the water discharge at Sidhnai was 193,000 cusec against capacity of 150,000 cusec. The flow has now shrunk to 76,691 cusec on Thursday. This breach caused inundation of dozens of villages of Pirmahal, Shorkot, Abdul Hakim, Kabirwlala and Mian Channu tehsils.

Nadeem Iqbal and advocate Malik Abid Aslam told Dawn from Kamalia that despite announcements made by the administration through mosque loudspeakers, warning villagers to vacate their houses but scores of families remained in their houses even when water inundated their houses because they feared theft of their belongings.

They cited example of three villages -- 732 GB,733 GB and 734 GB-- where hundreds of people were trapped in five to six foot deep water and there was no way to supply them food and fodder for their livestock by the administration. However, youngsters from nearby localities and welfare organisations reached them through tractors to distribute meals.

Even cemented houses and buildings of the government schools have developed cracks. According to the data of district administration, 80 villages of Kamalia and Pirmahal tehsels had been inundated by floodwater and about 60,000 acres of crops had also been damaged.

Some flood-hit people told Dawn that drinking water was a serious problem as there was no electricity to pump out potable water. When contacted, Kamalia Assistant Commissioner Iqra Nasir said practical steps had being taken to provide clean water to the people in affected areas. For this purpose, a moveable filtration plant had been installed, while the provision of water cans had also been ensured, she said.

A spokesperson of the Faisalabbad district administration said Wasa had made arrangements in Tandlianwala tehsil to supply bottled water and through tanks since Sept 3 which would continue till the rehabilitation of the affected people.

An official said assessment of the losses had been started.

People everywhere in flood-hit areas praised the role of Rescue 1122 for using their vehicles and boats to rescue and help them even in high floodwater areas by putting their own lives at risk.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2025