The Punjab Provincial Development Working Party has approved remodelling of six hill torrent crossings over D G Khan Canal at the cost of Rs 1135.39 million. The scheme was approved in the PDWP's 13th meeting of the current fiscal year 2017-18 presided over by Chairman P&D Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan. Secretary P&D Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, all members of the Planning & Development Board, provincial secretaries concerned and other senior representatives of the relevant provincial departments also attended the meeting.
It may be added that hill torrents (locally known as Rodh Kohi) are distinct type of waterways in which water drains from the mountains hit the localities and infrastructure in its way with an enormous speed. More than 200 hill torrents originate from the west of Suleiman Range and hit Taunsa, Dera Ghazi (D G) Khan and Rajanpur districts of south Punjab . Among these, 13 hill torrents are having large catchment's areas and flood potential.
These hill torrents after crossing fan area locally named as "Pachad area" crosses D G Khan Canal through 22 numbers cross drainage structures and frequently create disaster up to River Indus. Hill torrents generally associated with uncertain flood flows have kept DG Khan and Rajanpur districts. Hill Torrent fan area is socio-economically very weak. Most often catastrophic flood events cause a loss of billions of rupees to infrastructure, houses and irrigated lands.