JHELUM – Residents of several villages have urged the Punjab government to take immediate measures to rectify faulty drainage arrangements along the Lillah-Jhelum Dual Carriageway and address connectivity problems caused by the Jalalpur Irrigation Project (JIP) canal.
Residents of Dilawar village said their houses were flooded with mud and rainwater flowing down the surrounding hills during recent rains. They expressed fears that another spell of heavy rainfall could lead to flash floods entering their homes.
Local resident Malik Sajjad said villagers had repeatedly warned the authorities about the potential threat before the monsoon, but their concerns were allegedly ignored. He said engineers later inspected a culvert along the road, where inadequate space for the passage of floodwater had resulted in inundation of nearby houses.
He said the road and culvert required structural modifications to ensure the smooth discharge of rain and floodwater and prevent a recurrence of the problem.
An official associated with the project said a detailed report had been submitted to senior officials of the Punjab Highways Department, seeking corrective measures.
Meanwhile, residents of Kullewal, Ara Buland and adjoining areas complained that the Jalalpur-Khushab Canal had disrupted their access to agricultural fields, graveyards and grazing grounds. They said the absence of mini-bridges had created serious difficulties for local people, particularly farmers.
Jalalpur Irrigation Project Director Waheed Ashraf said he had recently visited the affected locations along with a team of the Asian Development Bank. He said several possible solutions were currently being examined in consultation with the ADB.
