Chenab land erosion poses threat to villages in Jhang

JHANG: Chenab River changing its route for last several years near Jhang and has moved forward to the urban area by  one-and-half kilometer in these years with land erosion, posing threat to dozens of settlements in the area, according to reports.

The erosion by the river also threatening hundreds of acres cultivation, ARY News scribe said in his report.

Chenab River after flooding season each year erode the land more forecefully and in this process moving to destroy several villages and eat up the cultivable land and crops, local people lamented.

An embankment was built in the past government with 30 million rupees cost but it failed to stop the land erosion allegedly due to defective construction of the structure.

The river erosion has claimed hundreds of acres cultivable land in the district in Khanwana, Sandela and Sahmal villages after erosion of fields in Jogera and Seech Nagar areas, people said.

Presently Kholra Baqar area in Jhang facing land erosion by Chenab. The river has destroyed 200 acres of cultivable land and 50 houses in the area and posing threat to a settlement having around 15,000 population.

Director General Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has said that the Chief Minister of Punjab has approved a project for construction of a protective dyke and the funds for the project likely to be released soon.