950816

Lower Indus in

very high flood

at Kotri

RECORDER REPORT

HYDERABAD: River Indus continues to flow in high flood at Kotri barrage where a further increase of 11602 cusec was recorded at up-stream and 11003 cusec down-stream during the last 24 hours. The total discharge at Kotri barrage at 6 p.m on Wednesday was recorded at 771067 cusec up-stream and 743255 down-stream. The water guage was recorded at 24 percent.

According to liaision officer Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur, the water guage at Dadu-Moro bridge had come down from 131.25 on Tuesday to 131.02 on Wednesday. He said that this was a clear indication that the maximum increase during the next 24 hours will not exceed 5000 cusec whereafter the level of Indus will remain stationary.

He said that there was no cause whatsoever for anxiety as in 1994, 817000 cusec had passed through this barrage safely.

The water level at Guddu and Sukkur barrage has come down from its peak of over nine lakh cusec to a little over five lakh cusec.

According to the irrigation department, all the protective bunds are quite safe and round the clock vigil is being kept.

Meanwhile, provincial Minister for Livestock and Fishries Pir Amjad Hussain Shah Jillani has said that peak flood was passing through Thatta district but assured the people that there was no problem. The minister who visited Surjani, Monarchy and other protective bunds said that because of strong winds some damage had been caused to the left bank of Surjani and other protective bunds but the irrigation department had strengthened the embankments.

APP adds: Manchar Lake level recorded at 0600 hours was 117.45 points, and is above danger level. However, it will further rise during the next 24 hours.

The river Jhelum was flowing at normal flood at Rasul. The river Chenab was flowing at low flood at Qadirabad and Marala. The rivers Sutlej and Ravi were flowing at normal and high flood stage at Sulemanki and Sindhnai respectively.

The peak discharge has passed safely from Guddu and Sukkur Barrage and it is now passing through Kotri barrage. There is day and night vigilance over the bunds and the front line on both banks is safe and intact. Most of the breaches in F.P. Bund and M.N.V. drain have been plugged and the work on remaining breaches is in progress.

BUND WASHED AWAY

PPI adds: The embankment built at a cost of lakhs of rupees at village Kamarshani gave way to the slightest onsalught of floods as it could stand its strong waves.

According to deatils the bund was constructed at a high cost on the insistence of the local people and the provincial government had issued special grant for the purpose. The contractor who built the bund used sub-standard material in its construction which was swept away by the floods from the nearby hills due to the recent heavy rains.

The destruction of the bund has caused panic among the residents of the area who have appealed to the government to make investigations into the matter. They also appealed to the authorities for the construction of another bund there immediately.

SCATTERED RAINS

Scattered light rains have been reported from all the four provinces and Azad Kashmir during the last 24 hours.

According to Regional Meteorological Centre, the rainfall recorded at different observatories by 8.00 a.m. on Wednesday is:- Daggar: 1 millimetres, Risalpur: 18 mm, Muzaffarabad (AJ&K), 6 mm, Multan, Islamabad, Jacobabad and Dal Bandin: trace (less than one mm).

Meanwhile, a seasonal low over northern Balochistan and adjoining areas continues to be well-marked. A weak monsoon low has developed over head Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas. The meteorologists have forecast scattered light rains over Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Hazara, Sargodha, Gujranwala and Lahore divisions during next 24 hours.