DADU A 10-metre breach at an embankment in a village near Mehar widened to 60 metres on Saturday evening, inundating more than 40 villages in three union councils.
The water from the breach at Suprio, in Mochi village, was now threatening Mehar itself. It was 10 kilometres from the town at Saturday midnight. Mehar was facing a danger from another side as the water released from a breach in Khairpur Nathan Shah was also advancing on the town. Dadu DCO Mohammad Iqbal advised residents of the district and the internally displaced people to move to safe places. About 80 per cent of the residents have already abandoned Mehar.
Because of a shortage of vehicles, people were seen travelling on foot and riding donkey carts on Naseerabad, Larkana and Betto Jatoi roads.
Hamal lake has started overflowing from its spillways at the Main Nara Valley (MNV) drain, posing a threat to Dadu.
Qambar-Shahdadkot DCO Yaseen Shar said that gates of the Hamal lake was lifted by one foot on Saturday night to allow the water to discharge in the MNV drain and release the pressure on the lake.
OFFICIALS THRASHED The guards and armed men of PPP MNA Dr Talat Hussain Mahesar and MPA Fiaz Hussain Butt thrashed chief engineer of right bank of Sukkur barrage Agha Aijaz, chief engineer of small dams Khalid Hussain Memon, Larkana superintending engineer Shafaqat Hussain Wadho when they visited Suprio bund to plug a breach.
The officials left the site in protest and went to the Betto Jatoi rest house. However, Sindh Labour Minister Amir Nawab, former MPA Kazi Shafique Ahmed Mahessar and MPA Fiaz Butt persuaded them to start work.
Later, irrigation officials, administration and elected representatives decided to give a 500-foot wide cut in Mehar drain to divert the water to Khairpur Nathan Shah town and Johi branch (canal). The K.N.S town has already been flooded.
MPA Fiaz Hussain accused the irrigation officials of not dumping stones at the Suprio embankment which resulted in a breach in Mochi village.
Chief engineer Agha Aijaz said the water level at the breach site of Suprio bund was high and it could not be plugged. He said that irrigation officials had sought army protection so that they could work without any fear.
The floodwater reached near Sita Road town in Dadu. The residents have collected Rs1.5 million to build a ring-embankment and save the town.
Floodwaters from Kari Mori and Bello Patan have inundated 30 more villages and were moving towards Johi town. Water from breaches in the MNV drain developed leakages in the Johi town ring-embankment, inundating 10km Johi-Bhan road and disconnecting the town from other areas.
A flood warning was issued in the town on Saturday. About 40 per cent of 75,000 population of Johi town has already moved to mountainous areas.
The residents of Johi held a demonstration in protest against the administration's failure to provide them transport and shift them to safe places.
Meanwhile, the floodwater of MNV drain inundated an airbase and two wells of multinational oil and gas company BHP and its two wells from right side of MNV drain in taluka Johi.
According to sources, BHP stopped operation and reduced supply of gas to KESE, SSGC and SNGPL from its Zamzama gas field on Saturday. But a BHP spokesman denied that the supply had been reduced.
Railways has started a special train service from Radhan to Larkana to shift flood-affected people to safe areas.
