Over 250 Peshawar residents have been rescued as the Kabul River overflows its banks.
PESHAWAR: After the Kabul River burst its banks on Monday, some 250 people were evacuated from flooded low-lying communities in the province capital. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a low-medium flood alert for Haripur, Swabi, and Nowshera districts as a result of the Tarbela Dam’s spillways opening. The flooded Kabul River, according to Rescue 1122 spokesman Bilal Ahmad Faizi, caused water to penetrate buildings in surrounding low-lying villages in Peshawar.
Water entered residences in Wazir Killay, Bela Mohmandan, Parchavay, and Shah Alam Pul, causing rescuers to relocate inhabitants, including women and children, to safer locations. Due to the opening of the Tarbela Dam spillways, the PDMA has issued a flood warning for Haripur, Swabi, and Nowshera.
According to the official, 225 individuals were rescued from the Bela Mohmandan region early Monday and 36 from the Shah Alam neighbourhood later that day owing to rising river levels.He stated that the Rescue 122 has established rescue and relief camps for inhabitants in the Wazir Killay and Parchvay districts of Michini village, as well as small boats, ambulances, and staff to manage emergencies.
Mr Faizi stated that the rescue agency had sent teams in the districts of Nowshera, Swabi, and Haripur in preparation for the opening of the Tarbela Dam’s spillways. “We have five boats, three ambulances, a recovery truck, and perhaps 50 rescuers for each region,” he said.Meanwhile, the PDMA issued a low-to-medium flooding notice for Haripur, Swabi, and Nowshera districts due to the opening of Tarbela Dam’s spillways for the first time during the current monsoon spell.
According to a notification released by the superintending engineer (survey and hydrology) residence, Tarbela Dam project, the dam’s spillways were likely to be ‘placed into service’ within 24 hours. “Discharge downstream Tarbela in the Indus River may vary from low to medium flood limits,” it said, adding that all necessary measures may be made accordingly.
The PDMA urged district administrations to take preventive steps to protect public life, infrastructure, crops, and livestock.In the advise, the authority instructed district administrations to maintain round-the-clock vigilance of the Indus River Downstream Tarbela, update the vulnerable population to prevent human losses in the event of floods, and ensure the availability of machinery in their areas.
In addition, an emergency flood control room has been created in the deputy commissioner’s office in Haripur. According to a working paper presented by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) on July 15 at the Annual Flood Coordination Conference, 2022, Hariana, Salah, Nabi, Raziabad, Allahdher, Mian Isa, Ali Muhammad, Misri Banda, agricultural farm areas of Swabi, Pir Sabak, Sur Kamar Dheri, Akora, Pindwandi Baba, Santini Dheri and Kheshki Payan
It was believed that if the river outflow exceeded 600,000 cusecs, the communities on the Indus River’s right and left banks for roughly 40 kilometres downstream of Tarbela would be swamped. According to the working paper, the downstream Tarbela valley could safely receive up to 500,000 cusecs of water without causing major harm to the structure.
“Flows surpassing 600,000 cusecs will inundate nearby villages and valleys, causing public life and property harm,” the report added.According to the PDMA, the outflow of the Kabul River was 95,400 cusecs in Nowshera on Monday afternoon, with the river in medium flood.
It added that the outflows of the Indus River at Khairabad point in Nowshera and Chashma in Dera Ismail Khan were 181,400 and 215,556 cusecs of water, respectively.