Floodwater reaches near Bahawalpur-Lahore highway

The floodwater has reached very close to the Bahawalpur-Lahore National Highway passing through the Goth Shah Muhammad area after covering a distance of around 10 kilometers from the river bank. The flood water started flowing to Goth Shah Muhammad and other areas after the Sutlej river received a high flood level of around 144,000 cusecs at Empress Bridge Bahawalpur and after covering around 10 kilometers distance, it reached close to Bahawalpur-Lahore National Highway passing through Goth Shah Muhammad area of Khairpur Tamewali Tehsil of Bahawalpur district. “However, presently, there is a low flood level in Sutlej River at both Syphion Headworks Mailsi and Empress Bridge Bahawalpur,” official sources in the district management said. APP learned on Sunday that floodwater which reached Goth Shah Muhammad, Goth Noor Muhammad, and other areas of Khairpur Tamewali tehsil has spread over an area the length of 16-18 kilometers, inundating over 200 small villages, destroying standing crops on thousands of acres of land including a maze, cotton, and others. In some places, floodwater can be seen at a distance of only one acre of land from the Bahawalpur-Lahore National Highway passing through Goth Shah Muhammad and Goth Noor Muhammad areas, and in some other areas, it could be seen at a distance of three acres of land from the highway. Thousands of people who have become homeless in Khairpur Tamewali, Israni, Lal Suhanra, Ghot Shah Muhammad, Goth Noor Muhammad, and other areas said that although, they had been provided with meals and medicines, adding they had been facing issues of theft of valuables from their houses which were surrounded by flood water. “Leaving our valuables and domestic goods at our homes, we fled to areas lying close to Bahawalpur-Lahore National Highway but at night time, thieves using different items to cross flood water used to reach our abandoned homes and took away our domestic items,” they said. The flood water has also wreaked havoc in Saddar Tehsil and Ahmadpur East Tehsil of Bahawalpur district. After covering a distance of a few kilometers from the Sutlej river bank, it has also reached the road linking Sama Satta Railway Junction to Bahawalpur City as it has inundated thousands of acres of land in Khanowali, Fatowali and Mauza Sama Satta. Reports suggested that after the breaking of another Zamindara embankment, flood water has entered dozens of other villages in Ahmadpur East Tehsil, inundating standing crops on thousands of acres of land and forcing thousands of people to flee homes. The sources in the Flood Forecast Division, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and Punjab Emergency Service Department, Rescue 1122 told APP that presently, Sutlej river had a low flood level on Sunday, September 3. “At Islam Headworks, the inflow of water is 70,513 cusec and outflow is 68,283 cusec with low flood and steady position, at Syphion Headworks inflow is 66,635 cusecs and outflow is 66,635 cusec with low flood and steady position,” they said, adding there was no more threat of high-level flood in Sutlej river so far. Meanwhile, it is observed that the personnel of the Pakistan Army, rescuers of the Punjab Emergency Service Department, Rescue 1122 Bahawalpur, and civil society have been playing remarkable roles in rescuing people affected by the flood and providing them with meals medicines, and other necessary items. Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bahawalpur Zaheer Anwar Jappa himself was seen sitting with the flood-affected people at Earth and having a luncheon with them which was provided by the district management of Bahawalpur. People affected by flood water in Hasilpur Tehsil, Khairpur Tamewali Tehsil, and Ahmadpur East Tehsil of Bahawalpur District have appealed to the Caretaker Prime Minister, Chief Minister of Punjab, national and international donors to provide them with compensation as their standing crops of maze, cotton and others spread over tens of thousands of acres of land have been washed away by flood water and their storage of wheat for cooking bread at homes was also swept away by flood water.