- Official says all facilities being provided to people rescued from Katcha areas
As the peak of over 754,005 Cusecs of water passed through the Guddu barrage on the Indus river on Monday morning, the downstream upgraded Sukkur barrage is bracing for the brunt of the very high flood levels.
According to Sukkur barrage control room In-charge, Abdul Aziz Soomro, the upstream water level at Guddu was recorded at 754,005 cusecs and downstream at 735,246 cusecs.
Similarly, the upstream water level at Sukkur barrage was recorded at 680,800 cusecs and downstream at 643,500 cusecs.
Speaking about the structures of Guddu and Sukkur barrages, Irrigation authorities said that both had faced more than 1,200,000 cusecs flood water passing through during the super flood of 2010 and, therefore, this flood carrying 800,000 cusecs will also expected to pass through without causing any big damage.
Meanwhile, rescue and relief teams of the Pakistan Army, along with necessary equipment remained busy in Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Shikarpur, Jaccababad and other districts of upper Sindh.
According to PRO Pano Aqil cantonment, Major Aleem, the teams of the Army rescued hundreds of Katcha residents from different areas including Qadirpur loop bund, Shank bund, Katcho Bhindi I and II in Ghotki district, Ulra Jagir bund in Khairpur district, and Bulherji bund.
He said that more teams have been dispatched to these areas to cope with any possible emergency.
Besides, the emergency response teams of Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Maritime Security Agency carried out evacuation in different districts during the last 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Sukkur Muhammad Abbas Baloch has said that all effective measures were being taken by the divisional and district administrations to provide relief to the rescued inhabitants of katcha areas settled at relief camps at present.
Talking to media, he said the divisional and district administrations were working closely day and night with the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Rangers, PDMA and other departments to provide relief work and to rescue the people from flooded areas, adding that 72,280 people from the flooded areas of Sukkur, Khaipur and Ghotki districts had been shifted to safer places so far, where they were being provided food packs, ration, clean drinking water, medicines and other relief goods in sufficient quantities.
According to the commissioner’s district-wise report, 21,250 people were rescued from flooded areas with the help of Pakistan Navy and shifted to safer places, of which 1,760 had made their stay at relief camps established by the government, where they were being provided with required facilities such as food packs, ration bags and other relief goods.
Similarly, 32,730 people were rescued from the flooded katcha areas of Ghotki district and shifted to the safer places, out of which 15,05 katcha inhabitants settled at the relief camps, where they were provided the ration bags and food packs. Around 1,947 other goods of domestic use were also distributed amongst them.
He said that 867 patients were treated at the relief camps established in Ghotki and 21,280 cattle were vaccinated against different diseases. Moreover, 18,300 people of katcha areas of Sukkur district had been shifted to safer places, of which 1,389 men, women and children were settled at relief camps.
More than 1,000 patients were treated and 3,784 cattle were vaccinated at the camps established in Sukkur, he added.