SUKKUR, Aug 13: The peak flood of the season is expected to pass through the Guddu Barrage on the midnight of Sunday and Monday.

Irrigation officials said that the flood at the barrage would not exceed 605,000 cusec and at the Sukkur barrage it would be 575,000 cusec at the most.

Keeping in view the flood situation, stones were being dumped at the Qadirpur loop protective embankment near Ghotki and the KK protective embankment near Kashmore was continuing to fortify them. Its erosion posed a threat to Budani town and about 50 villages.

A 15-foot portion of the apron of the Qadirpur embankment, which was washed away on Saturday, had been plugged.

Irrigation officials said that there was no threat to Ghotki town and its adjoining towns.

Sindh Irrigation Secretary Shuja Junejo told newsmen that about 148 sites had been declared sensitive along Indus embankments in Sindh.

Mr Junejo said that the Ghotki desert wall, the J-spur, MS, KK and Aqil-Agani embankments were under tremendous pressure.

He said that the KK embankment was being eroded but the situation was under control as precautionary measures had been adopted to handle any eventuality.

On Sunday evening, water flow upstream of the Guddu Barrage was recorded at 588,285 cusec and downstream 562,881 cusec.

The Sukkur barrage upstream was 400,000 cusec and downstream 359,000 cusec.

The Kotri barrage upstream was 174,000 cusec and downstream 171,000 cusec.

Seven off-take canals of the Sukkur Barrage were flowing normally but the water flow in the Nara Canal was abnormal as rains in southern Sindh had contributed about 4,000 cusec of water into the canal.