A 200-foot breach in the Wara Branch near Mirukhan tehsil in Qambar has submerged hundreds of acres of standing rice crop and placed the village of Ali Nawaz Jageerani at risk. According to the report, the breach reportedly began as a 50-foot crack late at night near RD 170 of the branch, close to the China RTC pumping station. Residents said the gap widened to 200 feet after irrigation officials failed to arrive in time. As a result, large areas of farmland were flooded and the village was left under a serious threat of inundation.

Villagers said they rushed to the scene after learning of the breach, but no representative from the irrigation department arrived. Farmers and landowners said they had suffered losses worth millions of rupees and called for immediate assistance. Residents also said a bridge on the Sim Branch had been built at the site two years ago at a cost of millions of rupees. They alleged that poor construction work may have caused the breach and urged senior officials to take notice, repair the cut immediately and compensate the affected farmers.

Meanwhile, Tarbela Dam has filled to 95 per cent of its total storage capacity, with the water level rising to 1,545 feet, just five feet below the maximum level of 1,550 feet. The level was 94 per cent on 5 August last year. Because the level has continued to rise, dam managers have decided to change the spillway position from the morning of 5 August. After the change, between 260,000 and 290,000 cubic feet per second of water is expected to be released through the spillways.

In Lahore, the weather remained partly cloudy, with a chance of rain, while the lack of wind added to the heavy and humid conditions in the city. According to the Met Office, the minimum temperature is expected to be 28 degrees Celsius and the maximum 35 degrees Celsius. Winds are likely to blow at around eight kilometres per hour, while humidity is expected to remain at 89 per cent.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)