Daily Times

QUETTA –Theriver Indus is in very high flood atGuddo and Taunsa barrages posing threat to many districts of Balochistanand Sindh.

As on Sunday, 650,000 cusec water is passing through Sukker Barrage and 737,000 cusecs through Guddo Barrage which will rise to 800,000 cusecs in next 24 hours, said Nanak Ram, a special duty officerof the Balochistangovernment on Sukker Barrage.

At present, he said a huge deluge was passing through Taunsa Barrage, which would reach Guddo and Sukker Barrage in the next few days. Areas in nearby districtsof Sindh and Balochistan were at risk of being inundated.There is high pressure at embankments, both upstream and downstream of the Sukkur Barrage, including Tori Band and Ghotki Bund (embankment).

Ram said that if the Indus burst anywhere of its banks, the high velocity flood would first hit KandhKot, Ghotki, Larkana and Khairpur districts of thenand inundate Jaffarabad, Nasirabad and JhalMagsi districts of Balochistan, besides areas of Jacobabad and Dadu.

In2010, 1.2 million cusec water passed through the Guddu Barrage when 250,000 to 300,000 cusec water burstfrom river banks wreaking havoc in Jacobabad, Jaffarabad, Nasirabad, JhalMagsi, Dadu, Larkana, KandhKot and other districts of the two provinces. The flood had caused heavy loss of life and property, he added.

“Tori Band, which lies between Guddu and Sukker barrages, is againfacing high pressure. The deluge, which is presently passing through Taunsa Barrage, will reach Guddu in next few days and will put pressure on the Band,” he added. He said that Guddu Barrage had also received 150,000 cusec storm water from streams of KohSuleman.

In routine, water from Guddu Barrage reaches Sukker Barrage in 36 hours but KohSuleman’s water coversthis distance in 12 hours due to high speed and pressure. He warned the people living in districts near the river Indus to remain alert as possible flood once again could affect millions of people. All departments concerned should be put on high alert in view of possible flood, he said.