Two die of severe cold in Larkana, Naudero

LARKANA: A six-year-old flood survivor allegedly died from exposure to the cold in Larkana while a young man in Naudero also died from the same causes on Friday.

Thirty-two-year-old Zahid Lashari, a resident of Phulpota village, had fallen asleep in the sugar mill after completing his duty on Thursday and was found dead next morning.

Meanwhile, the girl’s family is living in a relief camp set up in the Benazir Bhutto Municipal Stadium. They hail from Muhammad Ibrahim village in Kamber-Shahdadkot. They had moved to the camp when the floods hit their village last year.

Gharam Chandio, the girl’s father, and his family staged a demonstration at the Municipal Stadium Road and shouted slogans against the government. “We are helpless in our tents. Our children are dying in the cold but nobody cares,” said Rustum, the girl’s uncle.

Cold weather in rural Sindh

Temperatures across the province are falling further with a minimum of six Centigrade recorded in Hyderabad, two Centigrade in Nawabshah and 7.5 Centigrade in Mirpurkhas on Friday. Weathermen have reported that it is likely to get colder within the next 24 hours. Heavy fog too is worsening weather conditions. Sukkur, Shikarpur, Daharki, Jacobabad, Naushero Feroz and Ghotki among other areas in rural Sindh are adversely affected by the fog and cold, which is also causing delays in travelling. Attendance in schools too is being affected.

Plight of the flood survivors

Flood stories might have been packed up for good but the flood survivors continue to suffer across Sindh. Imtiaz Talpur, who was studying in class three when the floods hit his village in Sehwan Sharif, has been living in a relief camp since August. Several months later, his village is still inundated with floodwater.

“I want to go back home but everything there is still under water,” he said.

The flood damaged three union councils in Sehwan. People who went back to their homes after the water receded complained that the government had barely helped them.

Imamuddin, who returned to his home, said that his family, like several others, has no shelter in their village. “Only 450 out of 200,000 flood survivors have been issued their Watan cards, the rest of us were given nothing,” he added.

There are still around 15,000 people living in two relief camps at Sehwan.

Revenue EDO in Jamshoro Sohail Adib Bachani defended the district government by saying that there is limited access to these villages.  “When the water is drained out, then the rehabilitation will start. It will probably be another month before rehabilitation work can start,” he added.

Pak Navy promises help

Pakistan Navy’s chief Admiral Nauman Bashir assured that they have not forgotten the flood survivors and will continue to work for their rehabilitation. He was distributing the keys to the houses they had constructed for flood survivors in the model village at Mawach Goth, Jamshoro. The head of the Women Navy Association, Begum Zubaria Nauman, also distributed keys and property documents. Karachi Commander Rear Admiral Syed Khawar Ali said that every family would get equal space in the Pak Navy Model Village at 500 square yards.

With additional input from PPI

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2011.