More than 4,000 houses are said to have been destroyed by the storm and rains.
Protests and demonstrations were reported from Mor Chowk, Faqeer Colony and other localities of Gwadar, disrupting traffic on major city roads.
Most people simply refused to take Rs5,000 allocated by the provincial government for each affected family.
“The relief is insufficient. We are still living under the sky,” a victim Rafiq Baloch told Express Tribune over phone.
The protestors also criticised the federal government for not announcing any relief even weeks after the cyclone and torrential rains.
“This is the third time we have been hit by rains and floods over the past five years. People did not see adequate relief work being done in 2007 during the previous government’s tenure, and nothing is being done now. It seems that the government is not taking the situation seriously,” Rafiq Baloch added.
Pools of stagnant water – at places they are over two feet deep -- pose a grave health risk. Doctors said that more than 70 people had been admitted to the district headquarters hospital in Gwadar hit by water-borne diseases.
“If immediate steps are not taken to drain the water from the affected areas, the risk of an epidemic outbreak will rise exponentially,” a doctor warned.
Assistant Director of Fisheries Department said that the provincial government had received 351 applications about vessels destroyed by Cyclone Phet.
He said the figure is still tentative because more fishermen are likely to file claims.
According to fishermen’s estimates, more than 500 fishing vessels had been destroyed and more than 5,000 houses along the coast have been washed away or heavily damaged.
Central parts of Mekran region were hit by heavy rains, damaging property and standing crops.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 12th, 2010.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ