NAROWAL: The Pakistan Railways has started restoration work on the railway track that was washed away by the flood in the rainwater drain Dek while the Narowal district administration has again issued a red alert in view of the possible flood in the next 48 hours.

Relief operation of Rescue 1122 is going on in flood-affected areas of district Sialkot.

A high-level flood passed through the Dek coming from India-held Kashmir, making the drain overflow. The floodwater swept away the railway track between Ahmedabad and Pasrur railway stations on the Narowal-Sialkot section, suspending the movement of trains.

The railways started the repair and maintenance work of the damaged track. A team of engineers and workers has started working on the section of the damaged track. According to the sources in the railways, traffic would be restored on the Narowal-Sialkot section on Saturday (today).

Red alert issued for possible flood in next 48 hours

“We have plugged the10-foot deep breach at around 60-foot long piece of the rail track that was washed away on Thursday owing to torrential rains in India-held Kashmir,” PR Chief Executive Officer Farrukh Taimur Gilzai told Dawn.

He said Allama Iqbal Express (9-Up/10Down) and Lasani Express (125Up/126 Down) would not go beyond Narowal instead of going to Sialkot due to the breaches near Pasrur Station.

“Two trains – Faiz Ahmed Faiz (209-Up/210Down) and Narowal passenger (211-Up / 212-Down) – are running between Lahore and Narowal. It is hoped that traffic will be restored on Saturday, subject to completion of the work and no rains or flooding in the area,” he added.

In Sialkot, according to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Muhammad Waseem, rescue operations are being carried out for the residents of the flood-affected villages near nullah Dek. The people trapped in the flood in Klaswala and other surrounding villages are being shifted to safer places.

Narowal District Emergency Officer Naeem Akhtar said the district administration had dispatched the Rescue 1122 to Chandianwala to deal with the possible flood in the Ravi river while rescue posts had been established at Kot Nainan.

“There is a low-level flood in the river Ravi and rainwater drains of Dek, Bein and Oaj in the Narowal district,” he added.

According to the irrigation department sources, Dek, which had a flow of 31,500 cusecs of water on Thursday, was reduced to only 2,500 cusecs on Friday. They claimed that the floodwater in the surrounding villages as well as the fields would be cleared within the next 36 hours. In Sialkot, the water level in the Chenab river at Head Marala has come down to 80,000 cusecs.

Narowal Deputy Commissioner Shahid Farid visited the rainwater drains and embankments of the Ravi river and reviewed the arrangements made to deal with the possible floods.

(Khalid Hasnain contributed to this report from Lahore)

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2022