DADU: About 130 villages came under water and standing crops worth millions of rupees were destroyed in the riverian area after rise in Indus river in Dadu, Jamshoro, Nausharo Feroze, Nawabshah and Matiari districts.

In the riverian area in Dadu, 50 villages of Gul Mohammad Korejo, Nabi Bakhsh Jatoi, Sono Chandio, Koto Machhi, Al Hajri Jatoi, Chatto Khan Mastoi were flooded and standing crops of cotton and vegetables were destroyed, according to officials.

Dadu deputy commissioner said that low flood was passing through the river and all dykes were safe. The river water reached Bakhri bund and Dadu-Moro bund after inundating 20 villages in the riverian area in Naushahro Feroze district.

Naushahro Feroze DC Tashfeen Alam said that 20 families were evacuated from riverian area near Mithiani shifted to safer places.

He said that district administration and irrigation department had made joint efforts and started patrolling along the dyke while flood-fighting material and machinery were made available.

Sukkur barrage chief engineer Syed Sardar Shah said that situation was normal along all dykes and they were safe from Sukkur to Kotri barrages. However, rise in river water had inundated the villages of Nau Wahan, Duredero, Bilawalpur, Laki, Aamri, Gaincha, Kalari, Chachhar, Unnarpur, Budhapur and Manzoor­abad and 25 other villages in Jam­shoro district, he said.

Officials said that water would start receding in the river in Dadu and Jamshoro districts within two or three days and it did not pose any harm to embankments.

Likewise, Lakhat in Kazi Ahmed and Mangli in Sakrand areas were inundated along with 20 villages in the riverian area in Nawabshah district.

Nawabshah DC Amir Hussain Panhwar said that patrolling at T-Spur, Lakhat and Mangli dykes had been started and work on dumping of stones and filling up cuts in the dykes which had been made to release rainwater had been started. However, the water had touched T-Spur at Bhanoth in Matiari district and 15 villages in the riverian area.

Matiari DC Adnan Rashid said that a month ago, the Bhanoth T-Spur near Hala suffered partial damage but it had been repaired and now water in Indus was flowing at normal level although low-lying places in the riverian area had come under water.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2022