HYDERABAD: Eight villages in Hyderabad were inundated when the Indus river overflowed its banks after a rise in its water level while the swollen river caused leakages in Larkana-Sehwan Bund at Siyal village near Dadu, raising fears of flooding in the city.

As the river overflowed along Bachao Bund (dyke) in Latifabad Unit-10 early on Tuesday morning it caused flooding in vast farmlands and villages of Fazal Khan Leghari, Malik Gulistan, Bachal Khan Leghari, Haji Khan Leghari, Magna and others and inundated around 800 houses, forcing hundreds of inmates to rush to safe places.

Affected villagers Mumtaz Ali Leghari and Mukhtiar Ali Leghari told Dawn that their villages had been established on the riverbed for years. As the floodwater started inundating the villages early in the morning, they shifted their families and valuable belongings to the Bachao Bund, they said.

They complained the government did not provide them food, drinking water, tents and fodder for their cattle, which included around 1,000 buffaloes and goats. Crops of wheat, chili and others over 3,000 acres were damaged, valuable belongings were destroyed when floodwater entered homes, they said.

Latifabad assistant commissioner Anwar Ali Panh­war said the administration set up four relief camps at government schools and colleges while another 15 camps would be established at other places.

He said that flood affectees were being provided all necessary facilities but most villagers were not ready to stay in the camps as they preferred to remain by their cattle in the open on Bachao Bund.

He said the villages were inundated because they were set up in the riverbed which belonged to irrigation and revenue departments.

In Dadu, the Larkana-Sehwan Bund developed several leakages at Syal village near the town late on Tuesday night but officials of the irrigation and district administration managed to plug most of the leakages in time, averting danger of inundation of the town.

A team of expert engineers led by Abdul Rehman Nizamani, Mohammad Nawaz Soomro, Habibullah Kaboro and Dadu Deputy Commissioner Zubir Ahmd Channa supervised the repair work.

Mr Nizamani, chief engineer of small dams organisation, said the personnel of irrigation department successfully plugged the leakages after hectic efforts of 12 hours and raised a 150-foot long ring dyke to control the leakages.

Engineer (irrigation) Habibullah Kaboro said that 650,000 cusec flow of water was flowing in the river near Dadu, hence, flood fighting material was being dumped at vulnerable places.

The floodwater washed away main portion of newly constructed Aral Wah bridge near Sehwan town as soon as heavy current of floodwater flowed through it into the Manchhar lake. The floodwater also inundated Lal Bagh area of Sehwan and mounted pressure at the LS dyke.

Executive engineer (irrigation) Ghulam Sarwar Sahar said that 600,000 cusec was flowing in the river near Sehwan town which was developing pressure at several places along dykes. Water level had risen to 113 RL feet in the lake after the floodwater flowed into it but thus far the lake was safe, he said.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2015

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