Two more breaches inundate 150 villages as 50-feet-wide crack occurs at Zero Point n Two policemen on the embankment swept away n Sehwan Airport submerges n Sehwan city, Bhaan Sayedabad still under threat n Cholera outbreak claims lives of two children in Balochistan n Flood death toll rises to 1,325 as 11 more die n Waterborne diseases kill 5 in KP in single day.
HYDERABAD/ISLAMABAD - Authorities in the Sindh province are making last-ditch attempts to stop the biggest lake from bursting its banks as earlier efforts to lower water levels failed.
Manchhar Lake, in Sindh province, is dangerously full after record monsoons that inundated a third of Pakistan. Three breaches of the lake’s banks so far - two to protect areas nearby - have displaced over 100,000 people. But it could still overflow and rescue teams are racing to evacuate many more people who remain at risk of drowning.
The unprecedented torrential monsoon rains across the country on Tuesday inflicted further lives and property losses as at least 11 more people died in past 24 hours, taking the total death count in various incidents to 1,325 and 12,703 individuals got injured since the onset of the rainy season.
In view of high water level in Manchhar Lake, the Irrigation officials gave more breaches at two different places as a result of which over 150 villages were flooded while Sehwan town was still under threat.
According to a report, in order to reduce the water pressure on Manchhar Lake, two more places were given cracks, due to which the Sehwan Airport was inundated. The retaining wall of the largest lake burst on Tuesday after months of heavy rains, threatening hundreds more villages downstream and forcing thousands more from their homes According to the sources, the water level has still not reduced due to which most populous cities of Sehwan city and Bhaan Sayedabad were still under threat.
The water coming out of the lake has started hitting the Indus Highway near the Sehwan Toll Plaza, while the Sehwan Airport and Sindh Chief Minister’s native village Bajara have also been submerged, sources said. According to the district administration, water is continuing to flow from Manchhar Lake band RD- 54 and 52 and it had entered the limits of the five union councils.
Union Council Bobak and Jaffarabad are completely submerged, the number of affected villages has reached 150, officials said. The irrigation officials said that the water level in Manchhar Lake had not decreased, after the lack of water in Larkana Sehwan band, the water of Manchhar Lake would be given way to the Indus River.
Meanwhile, a 50-feet-wide crack has occurred at Manchhar Lake Zero Point, from which water started moving towards Union Council Wahur.
Two policemen on the embankment were swept away in the water. The overflowing water from Manchhar Lake on Tuesday reached the Indus Highway and washed away a bridge near Sehwan city, disconnecting Dadu district from both sides of the main highway. he motorway police immediately blocked the road for all traffic. “No vehicle could go to Dadu from Sehwan now,” a police officer said. On the other hand, the work of strengthening the Ring Band of Juhi and Mehar was going on, cracks started appearing in the weak band at the place of Kali Mori in Dadu’s ‘Seem Nala’ where strengthening work was in progress till filling of the report.
‘SITUATION REPORT’
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a 24-hour situation report released on routine basis that accounted overall life, property and infrastructure losses incurred by the heavy rains lashing out various parts of the country. The heavy rains and flash floods caused 11 deaths in Sindh province including a man in Dadu, two women and six Children in Kashmore and two children in Mirpurkhas. It added that the segregated data of nine individuals was still awaited from Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh. There was no incident or loss to report Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Khyber Pakhtunhwa, Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
In Balochistan M-8 was blocked as the route of 100 – 140 kilometers (Km) was blocked due to land sliding in 24 Km section of Wangu hills. In KP, N-95 was blocked as the route (Madyan) between Behrain - Ashrait (20km) and Laikot-Kalam section (8 km) was blocked due to debris. At the N-50, the road was opened for traffic except breached section of Sagu bridge and preparation of approaches on both sides of Sagu bridge was in process. In Sindh, N-55, Meher Johi Canal to Khairpur Nathan Shah was submerged and road was closed.
The massive torrential rains have damaged 1,688,005 houses, 5735 km roads, 246 bridges and killed 750,481 livestock animals. The report highlighted that scattered thunderstorm and rain of moderate intensity with isolated heavy falls was expected over the upper catchments of all the Major Rivers along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore and Faisalabad Divisions. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecasted that weak monsoon
currents from Arabian Sea were penetrating upper and central parts of the country which subsequently caused rain-wind and thundershowers with isolated heavy falls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Northern Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan and AJK from Sep 3rd (Saturday) to Sep 6th (Tuesday).
‘River Indus continues to flow in high, medium flood’
The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has said that River Indus continues to flow in “High Flood” at Kotri it is flowing in “Medium Flood” at Sukkur and in “Low Flood” at Guddu with “Normal Flows’’.
According to daily FFC report on Tuesday, other main rivers of Indus River System including Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej are flowing with normal levels.
Trough of Westerly Wave earlier over Northern parts of Pakistan lies over Kashmir and adjoining areas with seasonal low lies over Northwestern Balochistan and adjoining areas. At present, light moist currents from Arabian Sea are penetrating into upper parts of Pakistan upto 3000 feet.
The Flood Forecasting Division (FFD), Lahore has predicted isolated thunderstorm/rain of moderate intensity over Islamabad, Punjab (Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore & Faisalabad divisions) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including upper catchments of all major rivers of Indus River System during the next 24 hours.
‘CHOLERA OUTBREAK’
After the territorial and flood wreaked havoc in Jaffarabad, cholera outbreak claimed lives of two children in the area due to non-availability of clean drinking water and proper hygienic food in the rural area. The outbreak of gastro has affected dozens of children in the Jaffarabad and Naseerabad districts, a private news channel reported on Tuesday. The local people urged the health department to established medical camps in various localities in the affected districts to provide free and timely treatment to gastro-affected children.