SUKKUR, Aug 15: The peak flood of the season, with 554,000 cusec water, was passing through the Sukkur Barrage on Tuesday. Irrigation sources declared that the water level at the Guddu Barrage was receding and a decrease of 30,000 cusec had been recorded there.

They said that the flood passed from the two barrages without causing any major losses except few small breaches in the Qadirpur loop bund and KK bund.

According to irrigation and meteorological experts it was the biggest flash flood of the season and there would be no other flash flood after this.

Sindh Irrigation Secretary Shuja Junejo said that protective bunds between Guddu and Sukkur barrages were safe and intact.

Speaking at a press conference at the Sukkur Barrage, he said that the Guddu Barrage was designed to safely pass 1.2 million cusec and the Sukkur Barrage had the capacity of 1.2 cusec.

He said that 596,000 cusec flow had been recorded at the Guddu Barrage on Monday night after which the water started receding.

The upstream discharge at the Sukkur Barrage on Tuesday evening was recorded at 554,138 cusecs which was likely to further go up on Wednesday morning.

He said that pressure had mounted on the Sukkur Begari bund, KK bund (Kashmore), Qadirpur bund (Ghotki) and Aqil-Agani bund (Larkana).

He said that sufficient stone pitching had been done at these places to preempt any danger.

Officials of the irrigation department and army personnel were conducting round-the-clock patrolling and surveillance on the bunds.

He said that there was no possibility of flood losses between Sukkur and Guddu barrages despite high flow of water in the river.

He said that constant rise at Sukkur and Guddu Barrages was being watched and indicated just a slight increase in the water level at the Sukkur Barrage on Wednesday morning or evening.

He said that army jawans had extended enormous help to the irrigation department at different vulnerable points for evacuation of flood affected people and also in streamlining flood-fighting arrangements.

The secretary said that the length of frontline bunds from Guddu to Kotri was 875 miles that of loop-line bunds 331 miles and flood protection (FP) bunds 119 miles.

He said that all the bunds were under the surveillance of irrigation officials and army jawans.

Mr Junejo recalled that some damage had been caused to Sukkur Barrage’s right bank canal system and gates in the year 2004-05 which was successfully repaired by army engineers.

He said that a study had been ordered by the Sindh government for increasing designed capacity of the Sukkur Barrage and later on similar studies would be carried out for Guddu and Kotri barrages.

He said that the Sukkur Barrage was designed for 1.2 million cusecs and now we intended to design its capacity to 1.5 million cusecs which would be completed in two phases.

The secretary said that some leakage had been detected in the KK bund during night of Sunday but were successfully plugged by the irrigation staff.

Our Naushahro Feroze Correspondent adds: Several small villages in Kandiaro taluka were inundated due to flood in the Indus River on Sunday and Monday.

The increase in water level in the River Indus flooded villages, including Mehar Kalhoro, Nazar Khan Samtio, Luqman Kalhoro, Dost Mohammad Kalhoro and Adam Jo Bindo, and damaged standing crops spreading over several hundred acres of land.

A 20-foot apron near the Bakhri embankment was washed away and villages Jehan Khan Jatoi, Laiq Jatoi and others were under danger. The water has touched the Bakhri embankment.

District Nazim Ghulam Rasool Jatoi, DCO Nazar Mohammad Kalhoro, DO revenue Sikandar Ali Khushik visited the Bakhri embankment, Jehan Khan Jatoi village and Laiq Jatoi village. Stone pitching work at the Bakhri embankment near these villages was going on.

Our Dadu Correspondent adds: The water level was increasing in the Indus River while hundreds of acres of land in Radhan, Kundha forest, Pat loop bund, Talti area along the katcho area of Dadu and Jamshoro districts were inundated on Tuesday.

The water was developing pressure at mile No. 58/0, 60/0, Pat loop bund, mile No. 98/0, 97/6 of L.S.Bund in Talti area.

The Indus River water has flooded Ramzan Ja Bhan, Dilawar Ja Bhan, Ismail Ja Bhan, Gul Mohammad Shahani, Qadir Machhi, Sher Shahani, Mureed Ja Bhan, Bilawal Ja Bhan, Chuneja, Bhutta, Najam Korejo, Lund, Chehwan, Bahadur Jatoi and Mastoi village of Dadu and Jamshoro districts.