Peshawar on alert after fresh flood warning

The government on Tuesday issued fresh flood warnings, bracing the country for heavy monsoon downpours that could pile more misery onto 3.2 million people already affected by unprecedented rains. Authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa issued a warning to people living around Warsak Dam, one of the country’s most vital dams and lying outside the city of Peshawar. Rising water levels at Warsak Dam, the country’s third biggest, prompted disaster officials to ask residents in Peshawar to leave their homes. Intermittent heavy downpours in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday multiplied the people’s sufferings, while most of the flood-hit families of the province are yet to settle at relief camps for receiving aid. The heavy downpour in various parts of the province and subsequent high flood in the Kurrum and Ghambila Rivers have multiplied the marooned people’s sufferings especially of Bannu and Lakki Marwat areas. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) had earlier issued warnings about the water outflow from Warsak Dam on River Kabul. Within a short time of two hours, after rains in Peshawar and suburban areas, the level of water dam increased with outflow of 90,000 cusecs. With the outflow expected to increase further, the villages nearby the dam had been asked to leave the area. These villages included Pyari, Shaglai and Jognai villages. Though the flood waters in Nowshera and Charsadda, the worst affected areas, started falling down and the relief camps started delivering edibles to the affectees, yet the fresh intermittent downpours have not only sprung alarm bells among the people but also halted relief activities in certain areas. The relief camps set up in Nowshera and Charsadda are facing disorder in terms of relief goods distribution. People have complained about disorder in receiving food items. There is also dearth of food items at the relief camps. Administration of the relief camp set up at Polytechnic Institute Risalpur has been handed over to Mardan. Supply of edible items including flour, pulses, milk, tea, ghee and other essential things stored at the Town Hall-Mardan have been rushed to the calamity-stricken districts of Nowshera and Charsadda.