950817

All protective

bunds will

withstand flood

pressure: CM

HAFEEZ SHAIKH

HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Abdullah Shah has said that all the protective bunds are intact and it is hoped that the high peak of flood water of the mighty River Indus will be dropped in sea without causing any danger.

Talking to newsmen at irrigation rest house Belo Bungalow, near Tatta Town on Thursday, he said that he personally visited the protective bunds of the River Indus and found them able to withstand the pressure of flood water.

The chief minister informed that he has directed the construction of a mile long second defence bund at Baghar Uchato, which will cost Rs 80 million.

The chief minister said that the terrorist activities in Karachi was the major problem confronting Sindh, and the government had made concerted efforts to eliminate terrorism, adding that because of these efforts terrorists activities had been contained.

The chief minister expressed satisfaction to the efforts undertaken by the irrigation department officers in combating the floods. He said that no major loss had occurred in Kutcha area and added that whatever loss was reported, was quite minimial. Syed Abdullah Shah told the journalists that he had suspended one executive engineer Nafis Ahmad Shaikh of Public Health Department and his four assistant engineers for gross derelection in duty. He said he had also suspended Deputy Director Ashraf Shah of Fisheries Department and two assistant directors and a lecturer of the said department on same charges.

He said that the terrorists had brought bad name to the Urdu speaking people to such an extent that everyone had become suspecious about them. He said, it will take some time to completely eliminate the terrorists, but he expressed his determination to crush terrorism at all cost.

He categorically denied that he had ever announced general amnesty for the terrorists, but said that he was prepared to accommodate the misguided educated youth with the parameters of law.

PPI adds: Lower Indus is flowing at high flood stage at Guddu with a discharge of 5,01,000 cusec, it will gradually fall at this station in the next 24 hours.

At Sukkur the river is flowing at high flood stage with a discharge of 5,45,000 cusec. It will further fall during the next 24 hours.

At Kotri it is flowing at very high flood stage with a discharge of 7,78,000 cusec. It will further rise during the next 24 hours.

Mancher Lake level recorded at 06,00 hours on Thursday was 117.50 and is above danger level. It will further rise nominally during the next 24 hours.

The River Jhelum is flowing at normal flood at Rasal. The River Chenab is flowing at low flood at Trimmu and Panjnad. The River Sutlej and Ravi are flowing at normal and high flood stage at Sulemanki and Sidhnai respectively.

The peak discharge has passed safely from Guddu and Sukkur barrages and it is now passing through Kotri Barrage. There is day and nigh vigilance over the bunds and the front line on both banks is safe and intact. Most of the breaches in FP and MNV drain have been plugged. The closing operations on remaining braches are in progress.

APP adds:

SPUR WASHED AWAY

River Indus flood washed away spur No 167 which was constructed at cost of 20.25 million near Ghausabad Tehsil Dera Ghazi Khan on Tuesday. The spur could not withstand the pressure of 90,000 cusec water and vast areas of villages of Noorpur Hazara, Malkhani, Shaidani, Sharif, Jhok Uttra and Ghausabad were inundated.

Deputy Commissioner, SSP Dera Ghazi Khan and Chief Engineer irrigation reached the spot with police and Baloch levy.

People complained that crores of rupees had been misappropriated in the construction of spur and flood fighting arrangements. Only 20 work charged employees were present at the spot instead of 200 as shown on record.

The D C ordered judicial inquiry into the matter and appointed Riazuddin Magistrate as inquiry officer. He also recommended suspension of concerned SDO irrigation and sub-engineer Malik Tassaduq.