Sukkur, Guddu barrages face flood threat: death toll reaches 95

Sukkur and Guddu barrages are facing low-flood situation while water level has been increasing day by day. Sources told Business Recorder on Sunday that concerned staff of Irrigation Department has recorded 272,000 cusec water flow at Guddu barrage while water flow at the Sukkur barrage was 212,000 cusec.
They said that this situation of water is called 'low flood' in barrages. They said that water level has been increasing day by day in all barrages of Sindh including Kotri barrage. Kotri barrage is still in normal situation.
The Irrigation Department has announced emergency, and issued directives to all relevant staff to remain present on the barrages and their linked canals.
Mazhar Ali Shah, a water expert and member of Sindh in Indus River System Authority (Irsa) told Business Recorder that if rains would continue for more days in Sindh as well as in KP and Punjab then Sindh might face major flood.
He said that if water flow would cross 0.3 million cusecs in Sukkur and Guddu barrages, it would be 'medium flood' situation, and at 0.5 million cusecs, it would be 'major flood' situation which would be very dangerous for the barrages, canals, feeders, distributaries and minors.
Death toll in rain-related incidents also reached 95, according to Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), and Rehabilitation and Revenue departments. According to officials, more than 3 million people have been displaced.
Rains were still lashing parts of interior Sindh including Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Thatta, Naushehroferoze, Nawabshah, Khairpur, Shikarpur, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Larkana, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Dadu and other parts of province.
Nawabshah has been declared calamity-hit district by Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah.
Dadu district situation further aggravated as rains have destroyed standing crops on hundreds of acres of land.
Road links for almost all cities and villages are disrupted and the residents of the affected areas are trapped in the floodwater.
Sindh government has announced Rs 5 billion initially for the purpose of rescue and relief in rains-affected areas while every rain-affected family head would receive Rs.10,000 as compensation by the Federal and provincial government in this regard.