Indus erosion endangering dozens of settlements near Layyah
DERA GHAZI KHAN: The erosion of the Indus riverbank has claimed dozens of settlements and thousands of acres of fertile agricultural land as well as standing crops leaving people homeless along with their livestock near the Layyah city. The low-lying settlements near Layyah city that have been severely affected by river erosion over the past few days include Kanjal, Alyani, Maken, Baloch,…
The Indus riverbank is eroding, displacing dozens of settlements and thousands of acres of fertile land near Layyah city. Low-lying areas such as Kanjal, Alyani, and Maken have been severely impacted by the river's encroachment. Activist Safdar Kalasra claims excessive silt from the Chashma Canal, built over the past 20 years, has exacerbated the issue.
Before the canal's construction, hill torrents carried silt across the region, preventing it from accumulating in the riverbed. However, after the canal's creation, large amounts of silt are now directly discharged into the Indus, obstructing its flow and intensifying erosion on the eastern bank. The river has come dangerously close to Layyah city, separating it by only a few hundred feet.
Residents, including Irfan Kanjal and Ramazan Gormani, blame the district and provincial administrations for failing to take effective protective measures. Punjab and Lahore have allegedly received billions of rupees in funding for unrelated projects, while the region suffers from a lack of support. Several settlements around Paharpur have also been washed away in the past year, including Mada, Dadan, and several others.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
