SIALKOT/Narowal - Victims held protest demonstrations here on Saturday as 15 villages of Pasrur, 17 of Zafarwal and dozens others in Narowal, flooded due to overflowing Nullah Dek on Friday, remained inundated for the second day.
Water flow of 33,000 cusecs passed through Nullah Dek near Pasrur and Zafarwal and floodwater splashed over its bank, inundating the villages, besides inundating hundreds of acres of the agriculture land.
In Pasrur, six villages including Chahoor, Jabbokey, Nawaadhey and Seehowal have been cut off from Sialkot district as the local roads were badly damaged during Friday’s flash flood in Nullah Dek. The rescuers saved three local shepherds from drowning in faster flow of flood water in Nullah Baeen.
Meanwhile, the River Chenab was in medium flood at Head Marala near Sialkot. The maximum flow of floodwater was recorded 118,063 cusecs in Chenab at Head Marala Barrage. In Shakargarh, the local administration remained unable to repair the 30-feet breach in the bank of Nullah Baeen, which occurred there near village Sangraan-Shakargarh during Friday’s flash flood in this Nullah.
As many as four persons were reportedly drowned in the faster flow of flood water in Nullah Baeen near Noor Kot and Shakargarh. Abdullah, eighth, an class student, drowned in this Nullah Baeen near village Madan Bagga-Noor Kot. Rickshaw drive Javaid also slipped there and drowned in the Nullah near Noor Kot Bridge. In village Kala Cheechi a youth Khalil Ahmed drowned in the floodwater while Iqbal drowned near village Bachta Kot. MNA Zahid Hamid visited the flood-hit villages in Pasrur tehsil. He reviewed the flood-fighting and relief arrangements. Provincial Secretary Irrigation Punjab Saif Anjum, DCO Dr. Asif Tufail and Sialkot DOC Malik Abid Awan were also present.
Assistant Commissioner Pasrur Tauqeer Ilyas Cheema said that the flood situation was under-control and the water level was receding in Nullah Dek and in the inundated villages. He said that the district administration was monitoring the flood situation there.
According to Sialkot Flood Control Focal Person Malik Abid Awan, the flood situation was totally under control in all the Rivers Chenab, Tavi and Jammu and seasonal Nullahs Aik, Dek, Palkhu, Baeen and Bhed in Sialkot district. He said that administration was round the clock monitoring the flood situation here.
He said that the flood water level was receded in the flooded Rive Tavi and in the seven inundated Chaprar villages including Saalehpur, Patwal, Suhailpura, Resmaan, Bara Dari, Beli and Jhumiyaan Dalaalaan. He visited the flooded villages in Chaprar, Bajwat and along the banks of the Nullah Dek in Pasrur tehsil. He reviewed the ongoing flood relief measures. He said that flow of flood water was 5,820 cusecs in River Jammu Tavi and 1,547 cusecs in River Munaawar Tavi near Chaprar-Sialkot. Likewise, flood in Nullah Dek submerged dozens of villages of district Narowal causing damage to crops on hundreds of acres. The recent rains in Kashmir and Pakistan caused high-level flood in the Nullah. It has a capacity of 33,000 cusecs of water and the current flood is also of 33,000 cusecs. The water has spread in more than a dozen villages including Jaboke, Nawade, Sehwal, Budha Tarag, Kamlay, Jastiwala Uncha, Jandiala, Nidala, Balay, Hassan Bhattian, Phular Lohan and Sair Bajwa.
The flood has damaged crops on hundreds of acres land in the area besides the village houses and graveyards.
The water level in the nullah was increasing which may damage the protective dykes of the nullah.
District Emergency Officer Dr. Munawar Ali said that Rescue 1122 has started rescue operation to bring people out of the flooded area and to provide them medical aid.
DCO Narowal, Syed Najaf Iqbal said the flood level will soon come down. He said teams of district government were ready to meet the flood emergency and were observing the situation vigilantly. People of the area under flood strongly protested over the unreasonable arrangements by the government to protect them from flood.
They said flood ruins every year their crops but no one in the government bother to take the matter seriously. They appealed to the Punjab Chief Minster to take notice of the situation and order necessary steps for their relief.
Meanwhile, a horse was electrocuted after receiving a severe electrical shock from an electrical poll in Pasrur city. Local people have protested against the alleged negligence of local Gepco officials.