Pakistan Floods 2010- DAILY UPDATES

31 August 2010

Flood Spares Thatta as Waters Recede- A torrent fo water threatening to deluge Thatta has begun to recede, officials said on Monday, as emergency workers plugged a breach in defence against the swollen River Indus.  The breach near Thatta has been half-lugged and fortunately the flood has also changed its course and is moving away from the city and populated areas.  The water is flowing into the sea and its level is receding and many people are returning back home.

Flood waters entered on Monday Gaji Khuhawar, a town of 40,000 inhabitants in Qambar-Shahdadkot districts, and were mounting pressure on Warah town.  After breaches in Naseer baranch and Ghar drain at the Abdul Rahim Chandio villages, floodwaters accumulated in a pocket between Mirwah and Kariyo Sabar Khan, near Warah posing a threat to the town along with waters overtopping the Supro dyke at Garhi village.

Plugging of Tori Breach Begins- The Frontier Works Organization has started work on plugging 1,200 feet wide breach in Tori bund, which has so far done colossal damage to life and property in upper Sindh and Balochistan.  Key political figures have demanded a judicial inquiry to establish whether the breach was natural or man-made.  The gushing torrents out of this breach have so far displaced 1.5 million people in Kashmore, Larkana, Shikarpur, Qambar-Shahdadkot (districts in Sindh) and Balochistan's district Jaffarabad, Dera Murad Jamali, Dera Allah Yar and Osta Muhammad and destroyed crops and property worth billions of rupees.

Floods Inflict Rs. 421.6 billion to Cash Crops- The country has suffered the colossal loss of Rs. 421.6 billion due to severe damage to standing cash crops of sugarcane, paddy, cotton and others caused by floods.

30 August 2010

Geo Telethon 2 Collects Rs. 350 million for Flood Victims- On the call of the Mir Khali-ur-Rehman Foundation (MKRF) and Imran Khan, more than Rs. 350 million donations were pledged for flood victims.  MKRF and Imran have also sent 150 trucks of relief goods to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sujawal Town Goes Under Water- Floodwaters gushing from the kot Almo breach on the left bank f the Indus inundated Sujawal town on Sunday after devastating over a donze villages, a grid station, naval airbase and thatta-Badin highway.

Dadu District Under Stress- The advancing floodwaters from the Tori breach entered the district of Dadu on Sunday and displaced thousands of people.  About 40,000 people are said to be stranded in 40 villages.

Pressure at Kotri is Still Alarming- The Indus at Kotri barrage is likely to remain in exceptionally high flood to very high flood over the next 4 to 5 days.  Flooding will continue in low-lying areas of Hyderabad, Thatta and Badin districts and adjoining areas along both sides of the Indus.

UAE Raises More than $ 20 million for Flood victims- A nation-wide fundraising campaign in the UAE has so far raised more than $ 20 million of aid for Pakistan flood victims.

29 August 2010

Judicial probe urged into Thatta breaches- Sindh chapter of the Jamaat-i-Islami  (JI)has demanded a judicial inquiry into two recent dyke breaches in Thatta district and the earlier Tori embankment breach that occurred in Ghauspur (Kandkot-Kashmore district).  Ameer of Sindh JI Moulana Asadullah Bhutto addressing a news conference said that these breaches spoke volumes about inefficiency, irresponsibility and ineptness of government and other authorities concerned.

 400,00 people take shelter in Makli- Thatta- As many as 400,000 people displaced by the ragging waters of Indus have been forced to live under open skies in the searing heat of Makli.  “We will run out of food within a day or two,” said Sher Chuhar Jamali (a displaced person from Chuhur Jamali).

The breach in Molchand and embankment at Kot Aalimo threat. The breach in Molchand –Surjani embankment at Kot Aalimo , has widened to over 500 feet  and seven million cusecs  of water is flowing towards the Arabian sea.

 Paddy worth over Rs60bn washed away in Sindh-Sindhi’s paddy  crop worth over Rs  60 billion and cultivated over an area of around 1.6 million acres has been washed away by the current floods, while another 0.3 million acres of land is under threat.

Floods wipe out banana crop in Sindh- Sukkur – The devastating flood has destroyed the banana crop in Sindh and the new crop may take more than a year before bearing fruit.  In Sukkur region alone floods have destroyed around Rs. 25 million worth of banana crop.  Sukkur including Khairpur, Ghotki, Naushero,-feroz, were known for their export of bananas to Iran and Afghanistan.

28 August 2010

Flood-affected people will start receiving emergency cash assistance next week through a mechanism based on satellite imagery of affected areas- Islamabad- Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said at a press conference that provinces had been asked to provide by Saturday lists of districts, towns and villages declared by them as calamity-hit. He said the satellite imagery of calamity-affected areas would then be matched with the union council-wise data available with the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) to compile a final list of the affected people.

Several villages in Thatta have been inundated as a result of a 50-foot breach in Chhatto Chand Canal in District Thatta-The torrent that was headed towards Shadadkot, has been diverted towards RBOD3 Canal, which has diluted the danger of inundation of Bago Daro city, as works regarding plugging the erosion in Akil Agani Loop bund is fast in progress. The floodwater pouring out from a breach in Chhatto Chand Canal, has inundated several Goths and water.

High flow of flood tide at Sukkur, Guddu Barrages: Floodwater has kept its level very high passing through Sukkur and Guddu Barrages for the last some days while water level at Kotri Barrage upstream is witnessing a constant and alarming surge since yesterday evening where emergency has been declared in Kutcha areas located alongside downstream with people being rapidly evacuated to safer places.  According to Flood Forecast Division the inflow of water at Guddu Barrage upstream is 8,93,831 cusecs and outflow at downstream is 8,89,234 cusecs. Likewise, a high floodtide of 9,82,473 cusecs is flowing at Sukkur Barrage while its downstream level is 9,45,758 cusecs. High-level flood tide is also passing at Kotri Barrage where water level is constantly surging rapidly.

Floodwater may enter District Dadu anytime soon  The raging floodwater is likely to enter District Dadu from Hamal Lake anytime soon. District Co-ordination Officer Iqbal Memon has ordered immediate evacuation from 391 villages of 18 union councils of Mehar, Khairpur-Nathan Shah and Johi.

Aid Commitments Tops US $ one Billion- The outgoing Head of the UN Humanitarian Agency, Mr. John Holmes said on Thursday that over one billion dollars had been committed by way of pledges and direct donations towards Pakistan flood relief efforts.

27 August 2010

Thatta Caught Unawares- The administration has ordered evacuation of Sujawal, Mirpur Bathoro, Shah Bandar and Jati talukas of the district of Thatta after the raging Indus breached an embankment late Wednesday night.  Breaches occurred suddenly in two embankments at Thursday midnight, one near Faqir Jo Goth and the other at Chhatto Cand, about 4 km from Thatta town.  Floodwaters started moving towards the town, triggering panic and forcing people to shift to safety.

Half a Million More Asked to Evacuate in Sindh- In Northern Sindh, local authorities issued a new evacuation order for Shahdadkot, a town of about 300,000 for the remaining few tens of thousands of people to leave as floodwaters approached the town.  Shahdadkot is certainly in danger, people have built an artificial embankment but the pressure is increasing.  Downstream of Thatta, the towns of Sujawal, Daro and Mirpur Batoro with a combined population of 400,000 were ordered to evacuate.

Flood Hits Sibi Areas after Rain in Ziarat- Dozens of houses were washed away in Sultanpur and Talli areas of Sibi district on Thursday when the Nari river swelled after heavy rains in hilly areas of Ziarat and Harnai.  Meanwhile, floodwaters from the Tori dyke breach continue to threaten Jhal Magsi after inundating the town of Kot Magsi.

Crops on 3.2 million Acres Destroyed- According FAO estimates, the floods have destroyed around 3.2 million hectares of standing crops, killing 1,600 people and affecting 15.4 million others.  Over 200,000 cattle have been killed in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa alone and tens of thousands will suffer more due to feed shortages.  Some 500,000 to 600,000 tons of wheat seed stored at the household level has been washed away.

26 August 2010

Indus Runs Violent at Kotri Barrage- Larkana, Ghari Khuda Bux, Ratodero, Shahdadkot, Hyderabad under critical risks, efforts on to save Bhutto’s shrines.  The river is flowing in exceptionally high flood level with rising trend at Kotri Barrage with water outflows of 916,000 cusecs.

Indian Exporters to Take Benefit of Pakistan’s Damaged Cotton Crop- Pakistan’s floods may have destroyed up to a fifth of the country’s cotton crop (anticipated shortfall of about 3 million bales), handing an opportunity to exporters in neighboring India who are eyeing the shortfall.  Armed with a bumper crop after a good monsoon, Indian groups are expected to begin exporting to Pakistan from October.

Rich and Famous Lead Private Flood Relief Efforts- The cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan staged a five hours televised hone-in on Sunday with private TV network ‘Geo’ that raised Rs. 65 million (US $ 760,000) and was attended by Pakistan’s leading showbiz stars.

25 August 2010

People Opt to Live in Nests in Jatoi Goth- Although the super flood has displaced millions countrywide, there are people on the river bed of the Indus who first resisted shifting to safer places and now have formed nest-like residences hung in the air with the support of wood columns as the area around them is inundated with water.  “The flood is not strange to us, though it was massive this time, said Haleema, the resident of a razed mud house as she waded through five-feet deep water to secure sacks of food that Pakistan Navy’s hovercraft was there to deliver it.

Waterborne Disease on the Rise in Kohat- Scores of people including children and women, were admitted to different hospitals of Kohat Division after being affected by conjunctivitis (an infection of eye diseases) and other waterborne diseases.  Stagnant flood and rainwater is causing the spread of dieses.  In different hospitals, some 4,900 people were reported to suffer from eye diseases and 3,100 affectees of waterborne diseases had been admitted to different hospitals.

Chief Minister Announces Free Seeds, Fertilizers for Affectees- The Chief Minister of Punjab announced that the Government would provide seeds and fertilizers to farmers before the start of winter season while agricultural inputs would be provided to the farmers having up to 25 acres of land free of cost.

Angry Flood Victims Loot Food Centre in Nowshera- Hundreds of the flood victims belonging to Pir Sabak, Hakimabad and Cantonment Area, who had been without food for days allegedly broke into the store of the Society for Skills and Trainings Development and took away food items and 1,600 bags of flour.  Several women, children injured in aerial firing by police.

The Proud Guard of a Cattle Herd- In a hamlet near Tunsa, which is surrounded by the sea of floodwaters, an old man sits at his barn with 300 cattle.  Ghulam Rasul Wagha, 65, has been taking care of animals, including buffaloes, cows, goats and sheep for the last 3 weeks in paritewala, Taunsa.  These animals belong to the communities who left in search of safe places…………

Panic Grips Dadu Villages Amid Flood Warning- Panic gripped people living in 14 Union Councils of Johi, Mehar and Khairpur Nathan Shah Talukas.  According to the district administration, 278,460 people of 401 villages would be affected.

Another Sindh Town Goes Under Water-  Unchecked flow of floodwaters from Tori and Begari breaches inundated Qubo Saeed Khan, a thriving town of Qambar-Shahdadkot district on Tuesday, cutting all road links and making it impossible for the affected people to move to safety.  District Administration has ordered evacuation of about 150 villages along a 51 km dyke.

Compiled from various websites