Flood rescue efforts in Sindh gather pace

The Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy on Thursday evacuated over 18,000 people from riverine areas as the threat of exceptionally high flood became imminent owing to the rising water level at Guddu Barrage.

The Irrigation and Power Department Sindh in its announcement on the flood situation said that the Indus River was flowing in very high flood at Guddu Barrage and it will be a super flood at the spur during the next 24 hours.

“The Indus River was flowing in low flood at Sukkur Barrage. It will be in high flood during the next 24 hours,” it said adding that the Indus River was flowing normal at Kotri Barrage and it will remain normal there during the next 24 hours.

The Irrigation and Power Department said that discharge at upstream Guddu Barrage may remain between 8,50,000 cusecs to 9,50,000 cusecs on August 5 and August 6.

Troops distributed 1,200 cartons of dry food among affected families. Besides this, more than 15,000 people were evacuated from kutcha areas of Kashmore, Ghotki, Hajijo, Sukkur, Khairpur and Kundah Wado near Nausheroferoz.

The Pakistan Navy search and rescue teams deployed in Sindh and Creek areas have evacuated more than 3,500 people to safe places from low-lying areas of Kashmore, Ghotki, Panu Aqil, Sukkur and Rohri, which were under the threat of inundation due to rising water level at Mithan Kot and Guddu Barrage.

The Pakistan Navy has deployed nine search and rescue teams in Sukkur, three in Kashmore, four in Ghotki and one in Panu Aqil. Additionally, three search and rescue teams were being deployed in Khairpur district.

Meanwhile, the Karachi Corps has established a ‘relief camp’ for flood affected people near Transit Camp (old Race Course Ground) in Karachi.

Meanwhile, senior government officials, Chief Secretary Sindh Fazal-ur-Rehman and Health Secretary Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi on Thursday left for other districts to monitor rescue and relief operations.

According to the health department spokesman, they have established 96 mobile medical teams while 164 medical camps have also been set up in katcha areas to provide first aid to the flood affected people.