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+--- Thread: Manchar Lake swells to alarming levels (/showthread.php?tid=11651)
Manchar Lake swells to alarming levels - Lahore_Real_Estate - 09-14-2010 12:17 PM
The water level at the country’s largest freshwater lake, Manchar, was just half-a-foot short from spilling over and inundating the surrounding region.
The water level at the lake had reached the red zone of 19.5 feet, and there were predictions that after crossing the threshold of 20 feet, the areas between the Hamal Lake and Manchar would come under water.
In that event, boats would be the only means available to help people evacuate to safety. The government had announced a red alert three days ago, asking the communities in the three union councils of Sehwan, Channa and Dall, comprising 200 villages with 150,000 people, to shift to safer places.
Despite government’s efforts to evacuate people, 50 per cent population in the villages of the three union councils was still hesitant to leave.
The government had still put 250 vehicles on standby, urging people to shift to safer places, but there had still been resistance from the people.
The Manchar Lake — dividing the districts of Dadu and Jamshoro — is receiving more than 30,000 cusecs water while the outlet to the Indus River is less than 15,000 cusecs, panicking the communities.
Mustafa Meerani of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, (PFF) who belonged to the Boobak Town, said, “It is my personal observation that when the water hit their localities, these people will call us for evacuation.”
He said that the PFF had put speed and fishing boats, with 36 volunteers, on standby to help the people in any kind of emergency.
Nine boats of the Pakistan Navy were also there to help the people in case of an emergency. Meerani said that the Boobak Town, despite being located close to the Manchar Lake’s embankment, was safe.
Some local activists told The News that the hometown of a Sindh minister, Syed Murad Shah, with a large number of villages, had not had any land routes accessible anymore.
Majority of the families had been evacuated to Sehwan Town. Others were shifted to some hilly areas.
The PFF Chairperson, Mohammed Ali Shah, while monitoring the area on a speed boat, told The News that the water level had been rising, disconnecting all the land routes.
The families of the fishermen had almost lost their source of living, makeshift homes and belongings, which some of them could not take along in emergency. He said that in case of an emergency, the boats would be the only means of supplying food and other items to the people. Shah said his organization had started relief work for the families of the fishermen, providing them with food and other items.