MUZAFFARGARH: As many as 10,000 residents Gabbar Araien village, which is 100 feet away from the Indus, are under threat from erosion.

Hundreds of people are standing along the bank of the river. A number of residents have been evacuated while cotton and sugarcane on thousands of acres are facing threat of erosion.

Muzaffargarh Executive Engineer (EXEN) Mr Habib has appointed a contractor who is busy dumping stones but erosion is increasing.Embankment RD 15000 has been swept away by the water and other spurs turned weak.

Deputy Commissioner Saif Anwar says he has visited the area and all Muzaffargarh irrigation officials are on the spot, dumping stones there.

Dr Mahboob Elahi, a former medical officer, claims that the irrigation department had spent Rs100 million on flood fighting but spurs and embankments were not reconstructed. He says basic health unit, three govern-ment schools and a police patrol are also facing threat. He says the river has changed its direction to eastern side and thousands of acres had earlier been eroded.

Malik Zain Arain says he was born in this village and now his family has moved to Muzaffargarh and will observe Eid there.

Malik Sajid Mahmood, a villager, says: `We have faced floods in 2010 and 2014, but it is for the first time that erosion has hit our lands and homes.` Correspondent