A flood emergency has been imposed in Swat and Charsadda as flood water entered houses, including the historic mosque of Kalam. On Friday, according to the district administration, the road between Bahrain and Madin in Swat was washed away by a flood, due to which the road has been closed for traffic. According to a Motorway Police spokesperson, the Swat Expressway has been partially blocked in the Pillai area due to landslides. Traffic from Islamabad to Peshawar is being diverted through Pillai Interchange and traffic coming from Swat was blocked at Chakdara.
According to the district administration, the flooded rail of River Swat will pass through Munda Headworks in the afternoon. The discharge of water at Khyali in river Swat may exceed 2 lakh cusecs. In Dhar, Charsadda, measures have been taken to avoid flood damage. Local district administrations are making announcements to move people to safe places. Flood water has started entering the low-lying areas, which has submerged 500 houses in the Shahi Qalali area. According to the deputy commissioner, a flood emergency has been imposed in Charsadda and government schools in five union councils have been evacuated to accommodate the flood victims.
International Organization of Migration has dispatched 150 tool kits to help families whose homes damaged by flash floods caused by heavy rains in northern Pakistan’s Swat region last week. The floods destroyed homes in the Babuzai, Charbagh, Kabal, Khawazakhela and Mingora Tehsils of Swat – an area already affected by poverty and conflict-induced displacement.
The toolkits, which were sent at the request of government and partner agencies, came from an IOM emergency stockpile. Each includes a shovel, pickaxe, adze, hammer, nails, pliers, pincers, chisel, wrench, trowel, hand saw, gloves, nylon rope, binding wire and a packing bag. These kits were sent to Mingora, the capital of Swat, and will be distributed to 150 affected families identified by district government in Charbagh, Landiklass and Banair union councils of Charbagh Tehsil,” says Brian Kelly, Head of IOM Pakistan’s Emergency and Stabilization Unit.
