Water recedes in flood-hit areas

After few weeks of devastation caused by floods, the officials of irrigation department informed a high-level meeting on Tuesday that water level has started reducing in Manchar Lake, Mehar and K N Shah Tehsil and other areas of the province. They said that the situation would be better in coming days. "Manchhar Lake level has also come down from 122.75 RL gauge (122.75 feet) on Sept 12 to 122.50 RL (12.50 feet) on September 13. The water level at Amri Bridge has also come down from RL111.4 to 19.9 RL," irrigation officials informed the meeting, which was held to review the flood situation. The meeting was presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

It was pointed out that after the last four cuts, made in Larkana Sehwan (LS) embankment, Dadu city was saved from being inundated while water level reduced at Mehar Town and KN Shah by one foot and three feet respectively.

According to the officials, water level has also come down in Main Narra Valley (MNV) Drain that carries flood water from Kamber Shahdadkot and Dadu districts and releases it into Manchar Lake. Around three feet of water has receded in MNV as well.

Earlier, chief minister directed all the departments to dismiss the officers who were not performing duties and depute efficient, hardworking, honest, and willing workers in their place.

The CM said, "We need best staff members who feel the pain of affected people and believe in serving them, therefore, placement of the staff of health, local bodies, PHE, irrigation and others should be made accordingly."

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, Dr Azra Pechuho, Sharjeel Memon, Mukesh Chawla, Bari Pitafi, Advisors, Manzoor Wassan, Murtaza Wahab and Rasool Bux Chandio and chief secretary Sohail Rajput, PSCM Fayaz Jatoi, secretaries, representatives of Corps 5, Engineering Corps, Pakistan Navy and Airforce.

Minister Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro attended the meeting through video link.

The chief minister was given briefing by Irrigation, health and PDMA and the chief minister decided that the distribution of relief goods would be made at union council level so that it would reach every affected person.

Irrigation

The chief minister was informed that water level in River Indus would be normal soon. The Guddu and Sukkur barrages have come to normal flow, however, Kotri is still in the high flood. But its water level has reduced to 575,435 upstream and 555,185 downstream.

Health department

The health department informed the chief minister that they have set up fixed 206 camps where 317 doctors, 648 paramedics and 145 volunteers are performing their duties with dedication.

The department has also arranged 382 mobile camps on which 396 doctors, 765 paramedics and 171 volunteers have been deputed.

On September 12, the doctors at fixed and mobile camps checked 371,440 patients. of them 18,804 were diagnosed with gastro related diseases, 20,968 skin related diseases, 8,731 Malaria (suspected), 80 dengue (suspected), 43,903 other issues.

The chief minister directed the health department to carry out anti-mosquito spray in the camps and take care of all the people, particularly women, children and elderly people.

Distribution of relief goods

The PDMA informed the meeting that they have dispatched 6,873 tents, 21,200 tarpaulins, 50,536 ration bags to all the six divisions for distribution among flood-hit people on September 12, 2020. If the total figure of relief goods is counted it would come to 203,173 tents, 181,161 tarpaulins, 396,162 ration bags distributed in the affected areas so far.

The chief minister, concluding the meeting, directed the irrigation, local government and PHE departments to submit a report about the water drained out from the cities and towns in the next meeting.

Minister Information Sharjeel Inam Memon, just after the meeting briefed the media about the current position and the decisions taken in the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2022.