HAFIZABAD City News

Baily Bridge erected on Lower Chenab Canal
From Our Correspondent
HAFIZABAD: On the order of the Punjab CM, the Punjab Highway Department has erected Baily Bridge on the Lower Chenab Canal (Mangowali Drain) to provide alternative passage to the villagers of more than 20 villages.
DCO Muhammad Usman along with Highway Executive Engineer Jamshed Ahmad, Flood Focal Person Saeed Ahmad Khan, EDO Works Muhammad Anwar Tarar, ACs Umar Farooq Warraich and Sehrosh Fatima visited the site of the old bridge on the Lower Chenab Canal, which was collapsed on Sunday morning. The officers supervised the erection of the Baily Bridge, which was completed within 24 hours while all types of traffic between the affected villages and Hafizabad city had been restored. The DCO directed the Highway XEN to demolish the left out portion of the collapsed bridge promptly to avert any mishap. Meanwhile, DCO Muhammad Usman while giving briefing to the local media regarding the flood arrangements made by the district administration to meet any eventuality said that the media should desist from creating panic by publishing news based on rumours. He said that there was no danger to the villagers in the river belt area till today as the River Chenab was flowing calmly. However, the district administration with the collaboration of the PDMA and other rescue departments had made a comprehensive plan to contain likely flood in the River Chenab, he informed. Saeed Ahmad Khan told that 154 villages covering 300,000 population was likely to be affected by the flood. He, however, said that the River Chenab at Qadirabad was discharging only 124,000 cusecs on Monday, which was normal. He said that 600,000 to 800,000 cusecs water discharge at Qadirabad was considered high flood. He said that 904,000 cusecs flood water had discharged at Qadirabad last year while in 1992 flood, it discharged 948,000 cusecs. He said that adequate boats had been provided at the relief centres and personnel of all concerned departments had been put on red alert. The Health and Livestock departments had been directed to provide vaccination promptly, he added.