Flooded in Sindh, fierce flood torrents have made their way into urbane parts in Jacobabad district, forcing more than 90 percent population to vacate their houses, Geo News reported.

“More than 90 percent people living in urbane parts in Jacobabad district have sought refuge at safer places on their own after their houses started getting submerged under floodwaters”, effectees told Geo News.

Emergency has been declared at Guddu Barrage once again as another massive flood tide is anticipated to hit barrage within next few hours.

Meanwhile, some thousands of people are staying at vacated houses in Jacobabad for safeguarding their goods and properties.

Neither government nor district administration has shown readiness in relief and rescue efforts in the district, effectees complained.

The process of mud erosion at Ulraja Dyke in Khairpur, Jamsheed Loop Dyke, Fareedabad Embankment Razi Dero Dyke, Rameja Dyke, Paryalo Dyke and Sagiyoon Dyke has been seen happening due to immense floodwater pressure at banks.

Hundreds of thousands of stranded people are being transported to safer places in Nosheroferoz district as over 90 percent Katcha areas have been inundated under floodwaters.

Officials have been directed to shift people living in Kutcha areas in Thatta District to safer place in view of potential flood torrents that are set to hit district sometimes later today.

Floodwater pressure at the Bunder Walls along River Indus at Kotri Barrage, Qasimabad, Hussainabad and Latifabad has been mounting alarmingly where army soldiers and activists of political parties are engaged in strengthening security bunds through piling up rocks along riversides.

Eleven towns have been washed away while standing cotton crops in Ghotki have been wiped out after 200-feet wide crack appeared in Reni Canal, allowing water to wreak havoc civic population.

Rangers and irrigation departments’ officials are monitoring embankments at River Indus in Larkana after a massive floodwater tide started passing from there.

GHOTKI: The water level is increasing at Kotri Barrage while the breach in Bhong dyke has maintained the water pressure in Raini Canal in Ghotki tehsil of Obaro. And the level at Sukkur and Guddu Barrages is gradually decreasing

Ten thousand affectees have been rescued from the catchment area stranded for the last three days, DCO Ghotki Abdul Aziz Aqeeli said.
According to a local official, the Shahbaz airbase, too, is in the path of the advancing floodwaters.

In Jacobabad city and its vicinity, over 500,000 people suddenly found themselves without a roof after being told to abandon their homes and fend for themselves in a region being buffeted by raging rivers which have decimated an already hopeless infrastructure.

The warning bells started tolling after a breach in Tori bund set off a giant outflow from Noor Wah canal.

To make matters worse, 1.6 million people have been marooned in the kutcha area after torrents submerged around 25,000 villages, the chief of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Ghulam Ali Shah Pasha, told journalists.

In reply to a question about assessment damage to agriculture and livestock, he said: “The enormity of the calamity is beyond all calculation. For now, the government is overwhelmed by relief and rehabilitation work.

“The assessment will be done after a semblance of sanity returns.”

A large number of hapless survivors, defying hunger and illness, found the strength to trudge all the way from upper Sindh to Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Matiari, and some even to Karachi.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah told a press conference in Sukkur on Friday that flood victims would be relocated in Hyderabad and Karachi.

Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, in a media briefing, said the provincial government had decided to set up tent cities in Karachi, Hyderabad and Jamshoro to accommodate the homeless.

According to the chief secretary, evacuation has also been ordered in Dokri, Larkana district.

“Kashmore, Ghouspur, Karampur and Khanpur have been inundated while Shikarpur is facing a similar danger,” Mr Fazlur Rehman said. The Railways has started two shuttle services — Jacobabad-Sukkur and Jacobabad-Sibi — for the evacuation.

Report By:

SADAM LANGAH
03342009559
Shahdadkot
SADAM_LANGAH@YAHOO.COM