SIALKOT, Feb 20: Heavy floods near the convergence of rivers Chenab, Jammu and Tavi due to four-day torrential rains washed away on Wednesday night standing wheat crop on over 6,000 acres of land in 85 bordering villages of Bajwat area.
This was stated by Sialkot District Nazim Mian Naeem Javaid while talking to Dawn here on Thursday after visiting the flood-hit villages.
The District Nazim said the life had returned to normal in all the affected villages and their links to other areas had also been restored completely.
Similarly, he said the electricity supply and all the communication system had also been restored.
During floods, he said these villages were often disconnected with the rest of the Sialkot district. Effective measures were needed to provide permanent relief to the people living in the villages of these far-flung areas, he said.
The district Nazim said the river Chenab was rapidly changing its course near Bajwat’s 85 villages, including Saddarpura and Papeen, eroding hundreds of acres of agriculture land every year.
He said he had assured the affected villagers that the local government was taking strenuous efforts to save the villagers from recurring flood threats.
Mian Javaid said the collapsed Baily Bridge over river Tavi would also be repaired within 10 days.
This small sized bridge collapsed between the night of Feb 18 and 19 in Saidpur Patan area. The officials claimed that the water level rose ‘unexpectedly’ in river Tavi, breaking all the previous record of winter rains.
The district Nazim urged the Punjab government to write off interest on agriculture loans of the farmers of these flood affected villages.
FALLS: With the ceasing of heavy rains in Sialkot and Narowal districts, the water level in rivers Chenab, Jammu and Tavi has dropped.
Talking to newsmen, Sialkot DCO Capt Zahid Saeed (retired) said the flow of water dropped to only 100,000 cusecs from 305,000 cusecs on Thursday morning.
He said the two rivers swelled and overflowed immediately after heavy rains and then the water level receded swiftly as soon as the fresh spell of rain terminated.