PESHAWAR – The government on Tuesday issued fresh flood warnings, bracing the country for heavy monsoon downpours that could pile more misery onto 3.2 million people already affected by unprecedented rains.
Authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa issued a warning to people living around Warsak Dam, one of the countryÂ’s most vital dams and lying outside the city of Peshawar.
Rising water levels at Warsak Dam, the countryÂ’s third biggest, prompted disaster officials to ask residents in Peshawar to leave their homes.
Intermittent heavy downpours in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday multiplied the peopleÂ’s sufferings, while most of the flood-hit families of the province are yet to settle at relief camps for receiving aid.
The heavy downpour in various parts of the province and subsequent high flood in the Kurrum and Ghambila Rivers have multiplied the marooned peopleÂ’s sufferings especially of Bannu and Lakki Marwat areas. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) had earlier issued warnings about the water outflow from Warsak Dam on River Kabul. Within a short time of two hours, after rains in Peshawar and suburban areas, the level of water dam increased with outflow of 90,000 cusecs. With the outflow expected to increase further, the villages nearby the dam had been asked to leave the area. These villages included Pyari, Shaglai and Jognai villages.
Though the flood waters in Nowshera and Charsadda, the worst affected areas, started falling down and the relief camps started delivering edibles to the affectees, yet the fresh intermittent downpours have not only sprung alarm bells among the people but also halted relief activities in certain areas. The relief camps set up in Nowshera and Charsadda are facing disorder in terms of relief goods distribution. People have complained about disorder in receiving food items. There is also dearth of food items at the relief camps.
Administration of the relief camp set up at Polytechnic Institute Risalpur has been handed over to Mardan. Supply of edible items including flour, pulses, milk, tea, ghee and other essential things stored at the Town Hall-Mardan have been rushed to the calamity-stricken districts of Nowshera and Charsadda.
With the opening of the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway for light vehicles, it is hoped that the supply of food items to the affectees would resume.
The situation in Malakand Division is, however, still critical where people are facing problems in getting access to the targeted areas. Link roads are still closed and the further rains particularly in Swat, Shangla, Malakand and other northern areas of the region have increased the problems. Electricity is yet to be restored to the region while in Upper Dir food shortage is getting worst.
Communication and transportation remained suspended on the 8th consecutive day on Tuesday. However, the foreigners including 264 Chinese stranded in Daiber, Pattan and Sput areas and 8 Japanese in Dasu have already been airlifted for safer places.
Among the southern parts of the province, situation in district Kohat and Karak is getting normal though both the areas sustained human losses. While people in Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan are still facing rain and flood-related problems.
TuesdayÂ’s heavy downpour once again caused flood in rainy nullahs in the region. The Rerha Bridge on Meryan Road Bannu has been swept away by the flood.
The Rivers Ghambila and Kurrum are once again in high flood threatening the nearby population of Bannu and Lakki Marwat.
On the other hand, district Tank is facing the threat of heavy flood as the area received six-hour rain on Tuesday. The areas is cut off from Bannu, DI Khan and Wana.
Agencies add: “We issued a new flood warning to people living in the vicinity of Warsak Dam,” said Adnan Khan, spokesman for the local disaster management authority.
“If needed, forced evacuation will be started,” said Adnan.
“There is no threat to Warsak Dam. The water flow is gradually receding and the situation is being closely monitored,” the authority added.
Meteorological service forecast widespread rains in Sindh, Punjab in the centre, Azad Kashmir, Balochistan during the next three days.
Flash flooding was expected in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Balochistan, it warned, with heavy thunderstorms in Islamabad.