BAHAWALPUR: Suburbs and rural areas of Bahawalpur and Multan are under threat of flooding as the water levels in Sutlej and Chenab continue to rise near the cities.

The river Sutlej, experiencing a low-level flood near Railways` Empress Bridge, passes through the outskirts of Bahawalpur, where a small industrial estate is located just close to the riverbed.

Authorities fear that rural areas in the two to three kilometre proximity of the riverbed could be inundated by flooding.

The local administration, with thehelp of Rescue 1122, police and civil defence is making efforts to evacuate the residents ofthese areas.

As many as 34 villages in the Jalalpur Pirwala area are also expected to be affected by the floodwater of Sutlej and the authorities have established five rescue points equipped with heavy machinery in the area.

There is a similar situation in Multan, where flooding in the Chenab poses a threat to the suburbs of Multan city. According to irrigation officials, as much as 800,000 cusecs of floodwater was expected to pass through the Head Muhammad Wala near Multan on Saturday night. The officials said that in case of flooding, 12 villages of Qasim Bela, 49 villages of Saddar tehsil and 27 rural areas of Shujabad would be affected. As many as 400,000 people would have to be evacuated from these areas by Saturday night, the officials said.

Because of the looming danger,Multan`s administration has intensified the evacuation operations.

Residents of the area were being warned through area mosques and by other means.

Multan City Police Officer (CPO) Sadiq Ali Dogar and Deputy Commissioner Waseem Hamid held a joint press conference on Thursday night where they said that as many as 138 villages could be affected by flood in Chenab. They said the administration had decided to breach the Head Muhammad Wala and Shershah in case of a high flood wave in the river.

They said the administration had also increased the pace of evacuations and officials of various departments had been active in the field.

They said that for sheltering the affectees, 39 tent villages had been established. They said medical staff and veterinarians were also present at these villages.

Officials had also been deputed at the villages for providing food to the affectees, they added.