JAMSHORO: Pressure on embankments has been rising as Indus River is in high flood at Kotri Barrage, while the death toll from devastating floods in Sindh rose to 621 after 12 more people died in flood-related incidents in the last 24 hours.
The water in the river has dropped to low level at Guddu, Sukkur and other barrages in upstream as the high flood stream has reached at Kotri Barrage.
The Indus River has been in high flood at Kotri Barrage with water inflow has further surged to 6,26,000 cusecs and outflow in the downstream has been 6,00,000 cusecs. Four off-taking canals from Kotri Barrage are carrying 20,000 cusecs of water. The river water is exerting pressure at Kotri Barrage and protective dykes from Dadu to Thatta and Sujawal, irrigation sources said.
Several union councils and urban areas of Jamshoro and Kotri have been submerged under the river water. Floodwater has entered homes and residents are facing hardships.
The water level in the river at Guddu Barrage has further dropped in last 24 hours to an inflow 1,65,200 cusecs and outflow of water 1,58,500 cusecs.
Meanwhile, a small bridge collapsed on the Bhan Saeedabad-Johi Link Road after which floodwaters crossed the Ring Road of Dadu. On the other hand, disaster was averted in the Johi city after a breach, created by unidentified men, was plugged, sources in the irrigation department said.
The breach, which was created in the Johi Branch canal, caused pressure on the canal’s ring dyke, which could have submerged the nearby homes. However, residents from nearby areas rushed to the site and attempted to plug the breach through their own resources, according to Geo News. Authorities have also breached the Larkana-Sehwan bund to prevent floodwaters from entering Dadu, local media reported.
In another incident, floods resulted in a breach in the Dal branch and floodwaters entered a grid station in Bhan Syedabad and hit the city’s ring dykes. A large number of people gathered there and tried to strengthen its embankments.
Moreover, the irrigation authorities in Dadu are planning a ‘cut’ in the Indus Highway at Mukhtiar Nanagar, if the flow of water towards the urban center rises further.
On Saturday, jail authorities shifted 329 prisoners from the 93-year-old Dadu district jail to other prisons in the Hyderabad region in view of the threat of inundation, Daily Dawn reported citing Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghaffar Chandio.
