Flood unfolds fury in Sindh

Updated at: 1332 PST,  Monday, August 09, 2010  HYDERABAD/SUKKAR: The flooded River Indus is wreaking havoc in various parts of Sindh, as several Sukkar villages are inundated, Geo News reported Monday. River Indus sustained its high water level at Guddu and Sukkar Barrage that is running at present at 1130,000 cusecs, as water overwhelmed dozens of villages. Thousands of people have been rescued to safer places. At least 35 villages are awash with floodwater in only Sukkar district. Flood torrents engulfed several villages of Rorhi, Sangi, Pannu Aqil, Bachchal Shah Mayani with floodwater still roaring up short of couple of inches below the protective wall of the city in Sukkar. Administration jump-started buttressing all those points that can allow seepage. According to Irrigation Department, hundreds of irrigable lands sank under water when Jakobabad Begari Canal breached on three different places. Thal city has been cautioned to evacuate in view of flood. Quetta-bound Bolan Mail from Karachi was stopped at Shikarpur Railway Station in the wake of Begari bund collapse. According to DCO Jakobabad, Sindh-Balochistan Highway came under water after the Begari Canal bund breached; consequently, caveat has been issued to city for early evacuation. According to Project Director Abdul Sheikh, the river water breaking from Bhong Bund forced into Reni Canal, which is exposed to added risk of fissures in the event of water surge. The flood torrents raging from District Ghotki and Obaro sustained its pressure on bunds, as people are relocating to safer places on self-help basis. The wheat sacks worth millions of rupees lying under open skies in Ghotki/Obaro, wasted. The water from a 50-foot wide breach in RDM-46 Canal at Gaon Sahib Khan Khosa of District Dadu, inundated several villages and hundreds of irrigable lands. Thousands of people living in catchments areas are being shifted to safer places, as Larkana’s protective embankments of Nusrat, Aqil Agani and Purana Abad are under constant pressure of amassing water. Several villages were cut off from each other and various roads including Abdur Rehman Unar Road and Keti Mir Muhammed Road of tehsil Kangri in District Khairpur, came under floodwater.