QUETTA: High polluted outfall drain known as Sim Canal mercilessly lashed Dera Allahyar, Rojhan Jamali, home town of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Usta Mohammad, Ghandakha, Manjo Shori destroying thousands of homes, standing crops, railway track, the highway, telecommunication system, high powered transmission lines.
There was a complete evacuation from Dera Allahyar, Rojhan Jamali, Uta Mohammad and Ghandakha following flood warning.
The flash flood is not from the Indus River system, but of the massive canal breaches in the region, particularly the Sim Canal. The Sim Canal is actually the Indus Right Bank Outfall Drain for reclaiming the water logged and saline land of Eastern Naseerabad.
The Sim Canal was carrying the outfall drain that was breached causing flood and devastations in all the major population centres of Jaffarabad District. It is a man made disaster that may cause outbreak of epidemics sooner in Jaffarabad than any other areas of Pakistan merely because the breach is in the outfall drain and not a regular canal carrying fresh water. The outbreak of epidemics would prove more deadly than normal floods, experts opined.
According to reports, more than 0.7 million had left their homes from the major population and still more than 50,000 people are marooned all on the rooftop of their homes, eye witness accounts said. In the flash floods from the polluted canal claimed seven lives as all the victims were swept away early on Sunday morning.
Raging floodwater has flooded Dera Allahyar Bypass by 05-08 feet and fast approaching Usta Muhammad and Ghandakha after inundating Dera Allahyar, Sohbatpur, Manjho Shori, Chhatar, Rojhan Jamali, Kashmir Kot and others areas.
Worst ever flash flood has submerged about 3000 villages of Naseerabad Division while 10 people have lost their lives in flood related incidents, Commissioner Naseerabad Division Shair Khan Bazai told media on Sunday.
He maintained that district headquarter Allahyar and suburban areas were under flood water by many feet and flood tide was rapidly moving towards Usta Muhammad and Gandakha, adding people had been advised to evacuate their areas and shift to safe places as early as possible.
According to official sources, flood torrents entered Jaffarabad from three sides. About 350,000 people of Jaffarabad district have been shifted to Dera Murad Jamali, Sibi and Quetta while from Sindh areas, over 300,000 people had already been shifted to Dera Murad Jamali and Sibi.
Sources maintained that hundreds of thousands of flood victims were deprived of food as the district administration does not have adequate resources to feed a large number of affected people. They added the relevant authorities should take immediate steps on war footing basis to provide cooked food and clean water to the flood affected.
Meanwhile, people complained of breakout of epidemics particularly cholera and diarrhea as they were forced to consume contaminated flood water as clean drinking water is not available.
Despite evacuation of large number of population from Dera Allayhar and other areas, still thousands of people have taken refuge on their rooftops.
Deputy Commissioner Jaffarabad Saeed Jamali said that flood torrents entered Jaffarabad from Jacobabad and after 200-ft breach in Sim Canal, a huge outfall drain carrying effluents of the entire region to Sindh. He noted that some portions of Dera Allahyar Bypass were flooded by 08 feet and flash flood was rapidly approaching Usta Muhammad and Gandakha after causing havoc in others areas.
Brig. Tahir of the Pakistan Army told newsmen that entrance of flood torrents from Jacobabad to Jaffarabad had resulted in collapse of thousands of mud houses. He noted that Army Jawans with six helicopters, 14 trucks and boats had been participating in rescue and relief operation. He said the affected people needed cooked food, dates, biscuits and clean drinking water.
The senior Army official said the Pakistan Army had set up five tent camps while Frontier Corps Balochistan was also setting up camps for affected people. He added that Army Medical Mobile teams were also playing their vital role in affected areas. He appealed to philanthropists and donors to immediately send food and tent for the victims who were sitting under opened skies.
No comments:
Post a Comment