JACOBABAD – The unending devastation continued in Sindh as floodwater was roaring towards Jacobabad, a city of 0.5 million people, which gave a deserted look on Saturday, as 95 per cent of the residents had left for safer places. Presently, the floodwater is just one km away from the city and the Shahbaz Airbase.
It may be mentioned that the Shahbaz Airbase was one of the three Pakistani airbases used by the US and the allied forces in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
On the other hand, Federal Minister for Sports Aijaz Jakhrani along with officials of district administration tried to cut Jacobabad-Quetta Bypass, aiming to save Jacobabad and Shahbaz Airbase from inundating; however, former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali along with his private security staff reached the spot and foiled the bid.
During his visit to the city, Jakhrani told TheNation that he along with the DCO, DPO and other officials tried to cut the Jacobabad-Quetta Bypass but Zafarullah Jamali stopped them from diverting the water to save Jacobabad.
“The artificial breach and cut in Jacobabad-Quetta Bypass was the only option to save Jacobabad from inundation,” he said, adding, “Everyone, including Jamali, has to pay some sacrifice for the purpose.”
The minister said he was trying to contact President Asif Ali Zardari to intervene to save the Jacobabad from devastation. He had also contacted Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, urging him to take up the issue with his Balochistan counterpart to allow the cut, from where floodwater would easily pass to Hamal Lake and flow towards the sea through Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD).
Warning about the enormous threat, Jakhrani said if water was not passed through artificial cut to the bypass, Jacobabad would be completely inundated.
He pointed to the fact that after the cut, the flood would have inundated a number of villages in Balochistan, which was the natural path of the floodwater, but it had been blocked after the construction of the by-pass.
Meanwhile, DCO Jacobabad Kazim Jatoi told TheNation that almost 95 per cent residents had left the city after the district administration cautioned them to relocate their families to safer places as a preventive measure.
DPO Pervez Chandio said the government was trying to find other options to save the city from flooding.
EDO Revenue Munawar Mathiani said at least 300 prisoners of Central Jail Jacobabad were shifted to Sukkur and Khairpur jails in view of the flood threat.
He confirmed that about 30,000 to 40,000 people were still stuck in katcha areas while the standing crops on all cultivated land, measuring around 50,000 acres, had been destroyed.
The flood has also destroyed many villages in the settled areas where village Ahmed Mian Soomro, which is also village of former chairman Senate Muhammad Mian Soomro, became the latest among the submerged localities.
During the visit to Jacobabad, Sukkur and Shikarpur areas, which are severely affected by the flood, it was observed that the displaced people had established camps alongside the roads where they were without food, water and other necessities. Besides, the relief camps set up by the government had no capacity for more affectees.
In this scenario, more caravans were on their way to Karachi, Hyderabad and other big cities of the province.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said the floods had affected at least 3.7 million people in Sindh while the financial loss had reached around Rs40 billion in terms of damage to agriculture, collapsed houses, roads and other infrastructure.
Agencies add: According to DCO Jacobabad Kazim Jatoi, water will affect Shahbaz Air Base first of all after entering the city. He added the city is under emergency state in a way.
The floodwater inundated several places and various villages including Goth Lal Bux Bugio near Jacobabad-Humayun Road. The surging floodwater overwhelmed Jacobabad-Sukkur railway track near Sultan Kot.
The water level at catchments area of Nawabshah is fast rising. The protective embankments here are being supervised as water pressure has mounted at Mud Mangli and Makaro Bunds. Over 200 villages have sunk under floodwater in Dadu, raising the number of inundated villages to over 300.
The floodwater has made its way into in various other areas including Bhund Mari and Mondar, as hundreds of people have been left stranded owing to unavailability of boats.
Many villages in Rohilanwali have been submerged, while a huge torrent of 789,000 cusecs to 110,000 cusecs from River Indus is moving closer to Sultan, Jatoi and Alipur areas.
Meanwhile, the high torrent of flood, having wrought havoc in low-lying areas of Muzaffargarh, are now zeroing in on Jatoi and Rohila Wali however, the administration said the city is not at risk.
Meantime, the floodwater is once again fast entering Jampur and Sanawan area of Kot Addu. Rohila Wali cityÂ’s suburbs are submerged under one to two feet of water. At the same time, water is entering the city from four points of a nullah passing through the city.
The entire locality including the Rural Health Centre in Sanawan area of Kot Addu has been deluged. A flood torrent has ravaged through to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.
Another flood tide is roaring towards Guddu at Chachran Sharif.
About 30 villages of tehsil Jatoi were inundated and over 50,000 people were affected due to fresh waves of floodwater in the area.
The fresh flood waves swept away 10 villages including Rampur, Bhandai-Korie and others. The people of the area have shifted to safer places.
Floodwater from the Indus River has entered Wasindaywali, a town comprising over 25,000 inhabitants.
Meanwhile, six persons including two women were killed while 16 others received injuries in a head-on collision between a passenger van and coach on Hala Bypass in Hyderabad early Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the rising water pressure on the LS Bund Dadu since Friday has been released on Saturday when a canal was breached by the authorities in the Keti Jatoi inside katcha area thus saving Piyaro Goth, Phulji, Paat Sharif and other small villages and adjoining towns of Dadu district threatened of inundation.
The District Coordination Officer (DCO), Dadu, Iqbal Memon after breach maintained that all the pucca areas of Dadu district were safe and did not face threat of inundation.
He said that out of 1,05,000 population residing in katcha areas 95 per cent people have been evacuated and lodged at relief camps.
The super flood has started flowing into District Shaheed Benazirabad and score of villages situated in the bed of River Indus have submerged under floodwater.
Approximately 70 per cent of area inside protective embankments has come under water. According to officials of Irrigation Department, 7,30,000 cusecs was crossing the district limits.
On the other hand large number of people residing inside the embankments area were still reluctant to vacate their villages and shift to relief camps setup by district administration.