SAHIWAL: High flood on Monday affected residents of Shamanad Balooch, Koray Shah, Dola Zarian Bala, Nathu Wasli and Dad Balooch villages located on eastern side of the Ravi.

According to an eyewitness, around 30 houses along with government primary school and dispensary at Dad Balooch have already sunk into the Ravi because of land erosion that started during the last 24 hours.

Irrigation EXEN Abbas Naseem says water level is increasing at Head Baloki.

The latest reading taken by Dawn from local irrigation control room at 7pm says at upstream water level is 120,000 cusec and downstream it is around 106,000 cusec at Head Baloki.

Naseem says: “We are already confronting high flood situation and water level will increase in the next 24 hours.”

This correspondent has learnt from sources that the irrigation department is diverting extra water into Lower Bari Doab Canal to reduce pressure at Head Baloki.

On the other hand, Rescue 1122 has evacuated families and livestock stuck into the river bed at Dad Balooch, Shamanad Balooch and Koray Shah. Around 30 families of Dad Balooch have been shifted to makeshift tents as their agriculture land, houses and a primary school for boys were hit by massive land erosion.

Local sources have confirmed that 40 per cent land of Dad Balooch has been eaten up by the Ravi during the last 72 hours.

Adnan Shamas, Rescue 1122 media coordinator, says they have evacuated nine people along with their belongings and livestock.

Dawn has learnt that Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Sher Alam Mahsood have visited Koray Shah, Shamanad Balooch and Dad Balooch and assured the villagers that the Punjab government would allocate funds for construction of an embankment as a 12-year-old dyke was hit by land erosion.

Published in Dawn, September 9th , 2014