Floods threaten Hyderabad city in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD - With the threat of floods to Hyderabad city in Pakistan’s Sindh province increasing further, the army has rushed in to take protective measures fearing a breach in the Kotri barrage.

Hyderabad is the first major metropolitan city to come in the way of floods that started almost a month ago. The local population has started evacuating their houses because of the prevalent threat.

The present capacity of Kotri barrage is nearly 700,000 cusecs that has been increased to 875,000 cusecs by raising the level of embankments and opening all spill ways. At present, very high flood is being witnessed at Kotri as the water flow has exceeded 925,000 cusecs.

A flood control centre has warned that water level at Kotri barrage could increase considerably over the next 24 hours. It is expected that water level will exceed one million cusecs that is likely to hit the surrounding areas of Hyderabad quite badly.

However, the water levels at Sukhur barrage in interior Sindh and Guddu barrage at the Sindh-Punjab border have started to decrease. Water has started seeping from Sarjani bund near Thatha and has entered the town of Qabu Saeed Khan.

The villages in interior Sindh have been severely damaged and people have started moving to Karachi. Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has assured that these people would be provided all kinds of support.

The devastating floods in the country have killed more than 1,600 people and affected some 20 million.