Water hits Indus Highway, threatens to cut off Dadu
The Indus Highway between Sehwan and Dadu has been flooded by the largest freshwater lake in Pakistan, and the area may soon be sealed off, according to officials on Tuesday.
After a single breach on Sunday failed to lower the water pressure, the Manchhar Lake embankments received two more cuts on Monday.
The irrigation officials decided to burst open the lake from a reduced distance (RD) 50 and 52 when the flood level at the 200 square kilometer lake reportedly went up to 126 reduced levels (RL). The cut was announced at RD14 a day ago.
Water hits Indus Highway, threatens to cut off Dadu
Locals and representatives from the irrigation department claim that Dadu would soon be shut off from Sehwan as a result of the water from Manchhar Lake predicted to flood the area. According to locals, about 50% of the population has already been displaced.
According to Zahid Hussain Memon of the village of Bagh Yousuf Memon, which is close to Sehwan city, “People are abandoning their homes as the level of water coming from the lake is going to rise.”
Near Khairpur Nathan Shah, the Indus Highway is already flooded, making it nearly impossible to travel by vehicle from Dadu, Karachi, or Hyderabad to Larkana.
Five union councils (UCs), Jaffarabad, Talti, Channa, Aarazi, and Bubak, were submerged as lake water spilled into the buildings. Wahar village and Sehwan airport, both owned by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, were exposed to the overflowing water.
The late chief minister’s father, Syed Abdullah Shah, who had previously been the province’s top executive, was born in one of the remote communities inundated by Manchhar on Saturday.
#Pakistan Navy’s Westland WS-61 Sea King Helicopter conducting HADR/SAR operations in interior #Sindh#FloodinPakistan pic.twitter.com/f8lgpy3FBI
— Pakistan Strategic Forum (@ForumStrategic) September 5, 2022
