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Spur blown up to save Jinnah barrage |
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MIANWALI: As an ‘exceptionally high’ flood in the Indus threatens the Jinnah barrage in Kalabagh, the authorities blasted on Friday the spur on the right bank of the river. The breach in the right bank, which now endangers an under-construction hydroelectric power plant, appeared to have reduced pressure on the barrage. An engineer said that the ‘next 24 hours’ would be crucial. The left embankment of the barrage was blasted on Thursday night to decrease pressure. Irrigation department engineers are monitoring the situation at the barrage. Talking to journalists, Punjab Irrigation Chief Engineer Rao Irshad Ali Khan said the barrage had a capacity of one million cusecs but a record 857,000 cusecs of water was passing through it. People in Mianwali city’s areas along the left bank of the Indus passed a sleepless night because of repeated announcements by the district administration that floodwater might enter the city after washing away the safety embankment. The embankments at Wattakhel and Ballokhel gave way early in the morning and water entered the western and southern suburbs of the city, damaging houses, poultry farms, tubewells, livestock and standing crops. There are fears that water may enter main areas of the city. Residents of Wattakhel and Ballokhel refuted the administration’s claims that police and civil defence personnel were evacuating people from the affected areas. The local flood control office said in the night that water discharge at Jinnah Barrage had increased to 925,000 cusecs and at Chashma 1.145 million cusecs.It said the flood had claimed two lives in Isakhel tehsil. |
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MIANWALI:
31/07/2010 |
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