Rains wreak havoc in Lahore, Dadu

LAHORE/DADU: Heavy but scattered rain wreaked havoc in most of the northern and southern parts of provincial metropolis here Monday. Met office predicted more rain during the next 24 hours.

Wasa officials said that highest rain 107mm was recorded at Tajpura, 105mm at Johar Town, 101mm at Pani Wala Talab, 98mm at Nishter Town, 87mm at Farrukhabad, 82.8mm rain at airport, 81mm each at Lakshmi Chowk and Upper Mall, 76mm at Samanabad, 73.5mm at Gulshan-e-Ravi, 65mm at Chowk Nakhuda, 60mm at Iqbal Town, 58mm at Punjab University and 50mm rain at Jail Road.

The rain, which started early morning turned majority of the city roads into ponds within minutes. Long queues of vehicles were witnessed on all major city roads while roads leading to several public hospitals, including Mayo Hospital, Lady Willingdon, Lady Aitcheson and Lahore Dental Hospital were inundated and caused problems for patients in reaching the hospitals.

Meanwhile, more than 80 villages in Kachho area of Dadu district have been submerged in Nai Gaj River flood during three days till Monday evening while land route of 200 villages with Dadu and Johi has been disconnected. Thousands of people are living under open sky who need immediate food and other relief supplies from the government.

Pakistan Army personnel and district administration staff have shifted stranded people to the safe areas. The district administration has set up medical camps at different locations but people direly need food supplies and clothing. The people of the affected villages have appealed to the authorities concerned to provide all kind of relief for their survival and rehabilitation.

The breaches in Nai Gaj River dykes could not be plugged yet due to submerging of the routes leading to the river. However. the flood level in river has declined to five feet from earlier 28 feet maximum height. The route to Gorakh Hill a famous tourism site could still not be restored. However 35 tourists stranded at this site have been rescued by the district authorities.

More than 200 katcha houses have been demolished and 500 solar tubewells submerged by the flood water in the Kacho region. The danger of Johi town’s submerging has been averted due to sharp decline in the flood level while pressure on FP dyke has also come down significantly.

More than two lack acres of standing crops including rice and vegetables have been inundated causing huge financial losses to the farmers and poverty-stricken people of the hilly areas. The rain-fed river water has inundated 70km long and 22km wide area in Dadu district while the flood water depth was three to four feet. The gushing water is flowing to Manchar Lake which is the river’s end point. Thousands of people including women and children have been stranded in gushing flood water. The people have started shifting to safe areas. The land link of 200 villages with Dadu city has been disconnected due to submerging of routes leading to the city. The link of many villages have also been disconnected with Johi town of the Dadu district.

The people are facing difficulties getting food supply and are unable to reach required destinations. The villages submerged include Sewo Jamali, Ketti Sajawal, Ketti Wasan, Kando, Babar Bahawal, Babar Jam, Babar Sher Mohammad Talpur, Raju Gandho, Drigh Bala, Haji Khan Fateh, Brohi Rodnani, Golo Faqir, Sawro Chhani, Yar Mohammad Lund and others.