DERA GHAZI KHAN, Sept 11: The district administration has failed to initiate required rescue-cum-relief efforts in flood-affected areas of the district even after 48 hours of flooding caused by hill torrents.

More then 50 mauzas of the district have come under water. Affected people held several demonstrations at different places in urban and rural areas against the ‘ineptness’ of the administration.

Following heavy rains in Suleman range, the hill torrents of Wadoor, Soori Lund and Khaha Sultan wreaked havoc in DG Khan and Rajanpur. Flood in Soori Lund caused havoc in as many as five mauzas of Kala police station while Wadoor spread devastation in 50 mauzas and in Dera Ghazi Khan city.

PROTEST: Flood victims blocked Sangam Chowk on Indus Highway for several hours as a mark of protest against alleged ineptness of the district government and tehsil municipal administration .

Rasheed Yar, a resident of Sadeeqabad Colony, said that administration did not inform them in time about the arrival of the flood which destroyed their houses and other belongings.

He said the flooded areas were facing acute shortage of drinking water and food. He said their immediate requirement was medicines and medical treatment.

A dweller of Choti Zaireen complained that media and government had given coverage to DG Khan city while the level of devastation was very high in the rural areas.

This correspondent visited some affected rural areas where hundreds of villagers were still trapped in the flood waters. A resident of Choti Zaireen and former member of district council Dr Abbas Birmani said that more than 50,000 people had been trapped in flood water and they had not enough food and drinking water .

A representative of Jamatud Dawa Muhammed Madni said that they had established several relief camps in flood-affected areas.

BREACHES: Brig Abid of the army engineering corps told Dawn that seven breaches were developed in Dera Ghazi Khan Canal and work on plugging three off them was on.

Irrigation executive engineer Ch Liaqat told Dawn that breaches in Dera Ghazi Khan Canal would be plugged in next 12 hours.

Local Government Secretary Asghar Gondal told Dawn that 85 dewatering sets had been handed over to the district government to clear the city of flood water.

The district coordination officer told Dawn that as many as eight relief camps had been set up in the city but very few victims visited them. He said that 16 ambulances along with medical staff had arrived from different cities of Punjab to take part in the relief work as the health secretary was himself looking after the process of provision of health services in the affected villages. He said the affected areas had been declared calamity hit and the revenue department had started a survey in this regard.

RAJANPUR: District administration's timely action in response to a breach in Mubarak embankment saved Jampur city from devastation of flood, reports APP.

Sources in administration said they were making efforts to divert water towards barren lands.