Floodwater to be drained into Rohri Canal: CM

Says submerged districts to be cleaned enabling farmers to cultivate winter crops

HYDERABAD:

The  Sindh  government  has  decided  to  drain  floodwater  from  Matiari, Nawabshah and Sanghar districts into Rohri Canal, which springs from Sukkur barrage and ends in Badin district, said Sindh Chief  Minister  Syed  Murad  Ali Shah on Saturday.

The chief minister, on the third day of his visit to the flood-hit  districts  on  the  left bank  of  the Indus River, toured Matiari, Benazirabad and Naushahro Feroze districts. 

According to the CM media consultant, the decision about using the canal to drain the rainwater was taken at a meeting in Matiari where the irrigation authorities were  allowed  to  channel  water  from the flooded New Saeedabad taluka towards the canal.

The meeting took place at the site of Khor Wah where Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro briefed the chief minister.

Water from more than  100  villages  of  four  union councils of New Saeedabad will be disposed of via Markh distributary. A small channel will be dug to connect the distributary to the canal. 

The chief minister asked Revenue  Minister  Makhdoom  Mehboob  Zaman,  who belongs  to  Matiari,  to  monitor  the  digging  work  for  the  new  channel  
and  to  ensure  that  the  work  is  completed  within  three  days.  

Likewise,  water  from  parts  of  Sanghar district will also be flowed to the canal through Markh distributary.

Later, they drove to Rohri Canal where the CM was given another briefing about the disposal plan which will help clear floodwater from the inundated villages. He also interacted with flood victims at the relief camps who requested him  to speed up  efforts,  so  that  they could return to their homes at  the  earliest.

The  chief  minister told them that the purpose of his  three-day  visit  to  11 districts  of  Hyderabad,  Mirpurkhas  and  Nawabshah divisions is to decide about ways to drain out water from submerged towns and villages. 

He assured them that his government is serious about enabling farmers to cultivate their winter crops,  especially  wheat,  and  in  this regard financial help will also be provided.

Shah also spent time with children reciting the Holy Book at a makeshift seminary  set  up  in  a  tent  city  in  Malook  Khaskheli  village of Matiari. He later went o another tent city set up at Atal Bohiyo  bus  stop  in  Naushehro Feroze and asked the people about facilities there. 

Meanwhile , Provincial Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has  said  the  government  will  give Rs1 million compensation to the heirs of each person who died during torrential rains, floods and the consequent devastation. 

"This  amount  in  no  way  can  compensate  the  loss  of  invaluable lives but this will be a little help  for  the  families,"  he  said  while  talking  to  the  media at a  tent city established in the Labour Colony in Hyderabad on Saturday. Memon said the government will also help the people rebuild their damaged homes and the farmers to cultivate their crops again.

He  deplored  the  PTI  Punjab government's  act  of  stopping  transport of wheat to Sindh and registering  an  FIR  against  the  company.  

A  provincial  government's  vendor,  who  has  mills  in  both  Sindh  and  Punjab, was  transporting wheat from Punjab to the areas of Sindh which are near Punjab.

"Even  the  governments of India and Israel would have not done this."
He denied there is any disagreement  between  the  federal  and Sindh governments over distribution of the relief aid sent by  friendly  countries.  

Memon  said  that  the  National  Disaster  Management Authority (NDMA) has been distributing foreign relief items among the affected people.

He  clarified  that  Rs4,000  per  40kg  wheat  support  price  will  come  into effect  from  the  next  harvest season.