500 families affected as Darawat dam overflows in Jamshoro

Affected people said neither the provincial govt nor district administration has approached them for help

KARACHI:

Around 500 families have been displaced after their villages were flooded by overflowing Darawat dam, in Thano Bola Khan taluka of Jamshoro district.

The dam overflowed after incessant heavy rains in the district like other parts of Sindh and flooded the homes and agricultural lands in Thano Bola Khan taluka. People shifted to higher grounds, leaving behind their homes and household items.

The affected people said that neither the provincial government nor the district administration has approached them for help.

Darawat dam, which was inaugurated by former President Asif Ali Zardari in March 2013, has never overflowed.

"Our grandparents say even they have never seen such heavy rains before," said Khalid Detho, an affected villager. Most of the villages in the vicinity of the dam have been evacuated.

About 20 villages have been hit the hardest. They include Haji Khameso Detho, Loong Khoso, Yar Mohammad Palari, Nangar Lasi, Haji Miani, Faqeer Muhammad Detho, Bhutto Khoso, Sharif Detho, and Alam Palari.

"The situation is very critical and the displaced families are living under the open sky without any shelter," Detho said, adding that the relief and rescue operation should be immediately initiated.

Shafqat Wadhu, the chief engineer of small dams project in Sindh confirmed that the dam has overflowed. "People living in upstream area have been affected by it," he said.

Monsoon system
weakening in Sindh

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Wednesday forecasted that the current monsoon spell in Sindh will affect the province till July 27, after which it will weaken and will shift to the upper and central parts of the country.

Sindh and Balochistan have been battered by heavy rainfall in recent days which inundated towns and cities across the region and destroyed infrastructure and standing crops.

Karachi received more than 200mm of rain over a three-day spell which left most of the metropolis underwater.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2022.