About 566,200 cusec of water release from Indian side in Chenab River causes high floods in areas adjoining five cities in Pakistans Punjab province.
Director-general of Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Dr Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry told reporters in Islamabad that India had cited unspecified technical reasons for such releases. The situation was immediately conveyed by the Pakistan Indus Waters Commissioner to the National Flood Forecasting Centre in Lahore, federal minister for water and power and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Engineering Chief of Pakistan Army.
An emergency has been declared in areas adjoining Sialkot, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhang and Chiniot and district coordination officers concerned and the Pakistan Army have been asked to evacuate people from affected areas. Armed forces and civil defence organizations have already started evacuation of civil population from hinterlands, riverbanks and other sites vulnerable to floods.
The Indian Permanent Indus Commission informed his Pakistani counterpart at 2.30pm that India had released 178,000 cusecs in the river Chenab at Akhnoor and another 388,500 cusecs in Jammu-Tavi tributary due to technical reasons. Both the peak flows started reaching Head Marala at 5pm and touched 188,000 cusecs against 78,000 cusecs in the morning, said Mr Zaman.
He said there were no significant rains in Chenab catchments in the last 24 hours but suddenly India conveyed to Pakistan at 2.30pm about the releases although it had released water at 10am. He said India was required under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty to provide flood data as early as possible and on emergency basis but did not agree to a suggestion that India had violated the treaty by providing flood information more than four hours later.
Reports from South Punjab say high flood at Taunsa played havoc with Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh districts, causing displacement of about 200,000 people. Floods inundated at least 200 villages and Mouzas but rescue and relief operation was being conducted with the help of thirty five motorboats.
A large number of villages in Taunsa Sharif Tehsil along the right bank of the Indus river had been inundated which include Raita, More Jhanggi, Basti Bajray Wali, Basti Azeem, Fateh Khan, Bait Fateh Khan, Basti Khar, Bait Nutkhani, Mouza Aanjgrali.
Earlier, due to heavy rains in mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan, floods in River Kabul and River Swat hit the low lying part of North West Frontier Province (NWFP) along the Kabul River. High Flood in almost all the rivers of NWFP caused huge damages to houses, roads, bridges, cattle and standing crops in Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsada, Swat and Chitral Districts.
According to a recent report, a total of 86 villages and 27000 acres under maize, sugarcane and fodder crops, in the five districts have been severely damaged by the flood. Moreover, 1500 houses have been partially damaged. More than 16,000 inhabitants have been displaced who migrated to their relatives, school building or under construction plaza. Many people are living in open air.
Security situation is normal in the five flood hit districts of NWFP. The District govt. is co-operative and supporting INGO?s and NGO?s intend to work for the disaster victims. Traveling to worse flood affected areas in the three districts is not possible. It can only be accessed by boat. The local government has declared state of emergency in the districts. Moreover, army, relief commission and representatives of the local government have been put on high alert to meet the situation and help the flood victims. It is feared that with the onset of the rainy season (July-August) more devastation can be expected.
Relief agencies, government and non government organizations and INGOs are taking part in relief operations. Action Aid Pakistan has also taken initiative to respond to the immediate needs of the worst affected families. The Program Officer (Emergencies) visited Nowshera, Peshawar and Charsada and conducted a detailed assessment of the damages. Provision of food commodities, medicines to prevent epidemics and fodder for livestock have been observed to be the major needs of the flood victims at this moment. Actionaid in collaboration with its DA Swabi has started relief measures.
Contact Person: amir.irfan@actionaid.org
