KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah decided to constitute district-level committees comprising deputy commissioners concerned, representatives from Corps-V, Engineering Corps, local government, PDMA and local communities to conduct a survey and damages assessment right from village level so that proper relief could be provided to rain-affected people.

“Purpose is to reach to affected families and support them in a transparent, proper and decent way,” CM told this to participants while presiding over a rain emergency and relief meeting here, said a statement issued by a spokesperson of CM’s House.

CM said that committees being formed at district level would not only work for relief, rescue, survey, early recovery and damage assessment but procure all required material and goods, right from tents, mosquito nets, food items, medicines, machinery and such other things. It was pointed out that Provincial Disaster Management Authority has distributed 80,000 tents and has placed an order for another 180,000 tents but a requirement of one million tents has been generated by district admonition. He said that River Indus was in high flood, Guddu Barrage has 517392 cusecs upstream and downstream flows, Sukkur Barrage 597753 and Kotri 297178 cusecs flows. “Comparatively our embankments of our rivers are in a better position than flood situation of 2010 and 2011 but even then, various vulnerable points are under pressure,” he said. CM said he travelled across province and found thousands of people have set up their cottages and tents along main roads. It was decided that tent cities would be set up at union council level so that people could be shifted to one place which would be easier for administration to provide them with all necessary facilities at one place. However, it was also decided that tents would be given to people separately.

Crops-V would also help district administration in distribution of ration bags and other materials. Issue of disposal of water from cities and towns came under discussion. Since nearby canals/branches are flowing at their maximum capacity, therefore they don’t carry/accept rainwater in natural gravity. Meeting decided district administration would use diesel engines and electricity to pump out water from cities and towns for which necessary machinery would be provided to them on an emergency basis.

PDMA told meeting that they have already provided dewatering machines, pumping machines and generators. CM said that survey of damaged houses, crops and loss of livestock would help government to prepare a plan to rehabilitate affected people.

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 26 2022

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