SIALKOT
Hundreds of flood-affected people including farmers and growers, belong to Pasrur Tehsil, have demanded the Punjab government declare all the affected villages as calamity hit and exempted them from Aabiyaana, Maliyaana and other agriculture taxes to provide maximum financial relief to them.
Speaking at an important meeting held at flood-hit village Chahoor in Pasrur tehsil here on Monday, the flood-affected farmers and growers including Muhammad Bashir, Khalid Mehmood, Muhammad Iqbal Gujjar, Muhammad Sadique, Allah Rakha, Ghulam Hussain, Allah Ditta, Chaudhry Nasir Mehmood, Ghulam Sarwar Bagari, Suleman Ghuman and Zafar Iqbal Cheema said that the recent flash floods in Nullah Dek had badly damaged standing seasonal crops over thousands of acres of land across the tehsil over the past two weeks, adding that they were totally dependent on these crops. They regretted that they were totally at the mercy of Nullah Dek and were unable to pay Aabiyaana, Maliyaana and other agricultural taxes to the government.
They urged the Punjab government to declare Pasrur tehsil's all flood-devastated villages as calamity hit areas.
Meanwhile, Pasrur-based Federal Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid and local MPAs - Ch Munawar Ali Gill and Rana Muhammad Afzal have also endorsed the agonic voice of the local flood-affected people. They have also urged Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to visit the flood-hit areas of Pasrur tehsil. He said that the declaration of these flood-devastated villages as calamity hit areas was the demand of the day and the CM should declare these villages as calamity hit areas, adding that the government should also write off all the payable agricultural taxes.
Talking to the newsmen in Pasrur here on Monday after visiting the flood-hit villages, the parliamentarians said that Pasrur tehsil's 27 villages including Jabbokey, Chak Machchaana, Nawaadhey, Eispur, Seehowal, Jeesatiwala, Qila Ahmedabad, Sojowali, Kukka Pan, Poond, Baangey, Rasheedpur, Ghangor, Khewan Cheema, Saarh Fataah, Behlolpur, Chcheema, Peera, Baryar, Balloki, Main Harpal, Punj Grayeen Bajwa, Narang Wali, Dhung, Kheemowali, Baddo Cheema and Khewa Hundalaan were badly affected, destroying standing crops over thousands of acres.
On the other hand, the floodwater level has started receding in over 47 villages of Pasrur, Zafarwal, Qila Ahmedabad and surrounding areas which were again inundated due to fresh deluge spate in flood Nullah Dek near village Chahoor during Eid Days. It was almost the 14th deluge in Nullah Dek which occurred near village Chahoor over the past 22 days.
Meanwhile, District Officer (Coordination) Malik Abid Hussain Awan that the flood situation was totally under control has all the rivers, streams, Nullahs and water channels were flowing normally in the district. He added that, however, the floodwater level was receding in Nullahs Aik and Dek, as level of floodwater was 4,000 cusecs in Dek at Chahoor and only 600 cusecs in Nullah Aik at Oora on Monday.
He said that the flow of floodwater was 97,000 cusecs in River Chenab at Head Marala-Sialkot which was receding.
The DCO said that the district administration was draining out floodwater from the affected areas into main Marala-Ravi-Link (MR Link) canal.
DCO Iftikhar Ali Sahu supervised the rescue activities being carried out by the district administration, Civil Defence and Rescue 1122 workers in the flood-hit areas of Pasrur.