MULTAN: Engineering Corps of Pakistan Army has reached Dera Ghazi Khan with heavy machinery to assist the district administration to plug breaches in DG Khan canal that had triggered water rush to city areas early Monday forcing people to flee to safer places.
Hill torrents including Wadoor, Shoori Lund and Soori Khosa witnessed surge in water level up to 145,000 cusecs, 82,500 cusecs and 22,000 cusecs, respectively due to rains over the Suleman mountain range. The three hill torrents hit DG Khan canal causing spillover and subsequent breaches at seven points driving water towards DG Khan city, said Xen irrigation Abid Rasheed.
He said that water level of Wadoor hill torrent has gone down to 75,000 cusecs now from 145,000 cusecs recorded early Monday when it had hit DG Khan canal along with other hill torrents.
The deluge submerged areas including Siddiqabad colony, Shamasabad colony and some others in the city's suburbs. Water could not reach main city area, however, areas nearer to main city had the water level ranging from six inches to 1.5 feet including the district government offices, district courts, police offices, DHQ hospital, and others.
The official said that contractors of the irrigation department and the district administration were also actively working with the army equipped with dumpers, loaders and other heavy equipment to plug the breaches.
Meanwhile, five schools have reportedly been declared as relief centres to assist the people rendered homeless by the flood.
The people were surviving in challenging situation in the city and its suburbs without electricity since early hours of Monday.
Water from the breach point at Damar Wala, immediately hit low lying area Siddiqabad colony where it surged to five to six feet forcing the people to leave homes with whatever they could take with them leaving valuables behind. Water then moved to railway station, railways colony, canal colony where it was almost three feet high.
Water also reached officers' colony called as Indus colony, Baloch Levy offices, Katchery, DCO office, commissioner office, RPO office, SP office, forests office, central model school, a rest house, food godown, food department, excise office, DHQ hospital, site of under construction medical college.
At Dasti Pul, people built an embankment on self help basis that diverted flow to the left and right at college Chowk guiding it towards Pul Dat and Fareedabad colony. After passing through streets of Fareedabad colony, water fell into Manka canal, a canal that passes through the city but was closed years ago.
Water level was recorded high at Chit Sarkani road in the city's suburbs from where it moved towards Khaitran colony, Dadoo Wala, and some villages on way to Choti Zaireen.
Water release to DG Khan canal was stopped from Taunsa barrage since Monday morning.
Flood water also crossed Quetta road to hit Bhutta colony but did not move further.
DG Khan canal also had a breach at Nautak, some 35 to 40 kilometres away from the city, where it inundated rural settlements and crop area.
Water level ranging from one to two feet was also reported at two residential colonies of a sensitive institution in the city's suburbs.
When asked, how much time would it take to complete the task, the XEN irrigation said that plugging seven breaches in a big canal takes considerable time and initially they were preparing path to reach to the damaged sites. He, however, added that the breach point Burji No 226, from where the water had reached the important installations, would be plugged by Tuesday evening.
Comments
Comments are closed.