DADU: Over 70 villages in Katchho area in Dadu and Jamshoro districts were flooded on Sunday after rise in Indus river in the wake of widespread rains across the country and the province while the river currents continued to mount pressure on J-spur and RBOD-II section near Bhago Toro mountain, four kilometres from Sehwan town.

Sources said that a total of 77 villages had been flooded in the two districts, prompting Dadu deputy commissioner Raja Shahzaman Khuhro to direct revenue officials to vacate all villages along the river and shift people to safe places.

He asked revenue officials at a meeting to be overcautious as a huge flow between 400,000 to 500,000 cusecs would pass under Dadu-Moro bridge from Sept 8 to 9 and it might inundate more areas area in Kachho.

Chief engineer of Sukkur barrage Irshad Ali Memon and chief engineer of irrigation department Mohammad Ayoob Soomro told reporters that all dykes along left and right side of Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages were safe and irrigation officials had stepped up patrolling along embankments.

Chief engineer RBOD-II Syed Sardar Shah said that irrigation staff was busy fighting flood with the help of machinery near Sehwan.

He said that embankments of RBOD-II ran parallel to the river and irrigation officials were dumping stones and other material at four different places to reinforce weak points.

Mahesh Kumar, irrigation engineer posted at Manchhar Lake, said that the lake water continued to flow into the river through Aral canals, dropping its level to 115 feet RL.

Meanwhile, Nai Gaaj Nullah received four feet more water flows on Sunday, cutting off land link of 300 villages of Kachho with Johi for the past two weeks.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2020