Flashflood in Chenab destroys wheat, other crops

MULTAN: Flashflood in Chenab River destroyed wheat and other crops cultivated in about six villages located across the river on Friday. People in the villages started making announcements through mosques about the arrival of flashflood, but the water entered the agriculture fields before the villagers adopted preventive measures.

The floodwater destroyed wheat and other crops cultivate on thousands of acres of land. “The district administration has not issued a flood warning. We have lost our earning of the whole season", said peasant Malik Shafqat Maitla of Mauza Jalalabad. He said that river erosion deprived them of hundreds of acres of land every year.

He said that establishment of dykes was one of the solutions, but the authorities concerned had taken no decision in this regard.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Amir Khattak visited the flood-hit affected areas and ordered a survey. He said that the flashflood had damaged three revenue circles, including Sher Shah, Bosan and Nawabpur.

Assistant Commissioner Sadr Shahzad Mehboob also visited the affected areas. AC Sadr Shahzad Mehboob told this scribe that the water flow at Head Trimmu was 154,000 cusecs with downstream flow of 70,000 cusecs.

He said that no causality had been reported. The District Disaster Management Authority and Rescue 1122 had started relief operations in the area, he added.

The flood also destroyed Muhammadpur Ghota village and Punjab Minister for Energy Dr Akhtar Malik visited the affected area. The minister said that the flashflood had destroyed strawberry and wheat crops in the affected area of Muhammadpur Ghota. The affected farmers would be compensated under the Imdad Insaf Programme, which was expected to start in seven days, he added.