VEHARI, Aug 17: Measures have been taken in some areas and are being taken in others to avert losses from flood in the River Sutlej.
The Vehari district administration has put all departments on high alert as the flood is heading fast towards the district.
The administration has set up warning centres to keep people informed about the flood, which is also expected to pass through Head Islam and Head Sulemanki in the next 8-10 hours.
The flood will affect 159 villages of Vehari district. Currently, most of the villagers are being evacuated.
The flood in the River Sutlej has hit scores of villages in Kasur and Okara districts and destroyed standing crops on hundreds of acres. The army has reached Baseerpur for flood relief activities.
The Vehari district coordination officer has said the administration has set up relief camps near places feared to be hit by the flood. People living along the river have been asked to move to safer places. A flood control room has been set up at the DCO Office.
In Okara, the district administration has established six medical camps at separate places for the flood-hit people. About 400 people have been treated at these medical camps, which have been set up in Atari, Paran, Dharanga, Mahliky, Mehio Sheikhwala and Rohala Praan villages of Depalpur tehsil. These camps have been equipped with snake bite vaccine, ambulances, doctors and necessary medicines. At least 15,000 packets of DRS have been distributed among people.
In Bahawalpur, the news of flood in the otherwise dried up river has excited and panicked the people. Several people living along the river are panicked because they have occupied the river bed and are growing crops there.
The flood will destroy their crops. Others are excited because they believe that the underground water level in these areas, which has gone quite down over the last one decade, will rise.
On Saturday, District Coordination Officer Mushtaq Ahmed chaired a meeting to review flood relief arrangements. He directed the officials to remain on the high alert to deal with any situation. A flood warning and control centre was set up at the DCO Office.