Sindh to call global meet on flood devastation
Displaced people walk on flooded highway, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Sehwan, Pakistan, September 16, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
After the flood devastation, Sindh cabinet on Monday decided to convene a two-day international conference to discuss the destructions caused by the recent monsoon rains in the province and explore technical ways to reconstruct the irrigation and drainage system so that the impact of such calamities could be mitigated in future.
“Our river system, bridges on the river, drainage systems such as RBOD, LBOD, MNV, and flood protection embankments could not sustain the impact of heavy downpours and floods of 2022, therefore, we have to gather all the experts, including the experts from the world bank, to discuss the necessity of redesigning the irrigation and drainage system so that future climate pressures could be sustained accordingly.”
Minister Irrigation, Jam Khan Shoro told the cabinet that in monsoon 2022, Sindh witnessed extreme rainfall and torrential rains on Khirthar hills resulting into massive flooding in the province.
He said that previously, a major disaster occurred during the riverine flood of 2010, in which a breach occurred at Tori Bund on the right-side bank of the Indus River. He added that the area inundated during the 2010 flood was about 1.3 million acres and the quantum of water was about 4.9MAF. Whereas, during recent flooding on the Right Bank of Indus; an area of around 2.2 million acres was inundated with approximately 14MAF quantum of water.
Similarly, the heaviest rainfall on the left bank of the Indus inundated area of around 14 lac acres with 8MAF. The total quantum of rainwater in right and left banks collectively becomes about 22 MAF, which is almost four times the volume of Tarbela Reservoir, Jam Khan told the cabinet.
The major devastation in the shape of breaches/cuts and damages to the structures along irrigation and drainage channels are 5,335, including FP Bund, Suprio Bund, MNV, LBOD, RBOD, Manchar containing bund, small dams, etc.
It was pointed out that the culturable command area of Sindh is 12,82 million acres whereas, the drainage facility was only for an area of about 5 million acres only to cater to the drainage surplus from the agricultural lands. At this, the CM said that the national and international experts should be invited in December to discuss and guide us in developing our irrigation and drainage system.
Rehabilitation work
The rehabilitation dept told the cabinet that so far 673,867 tents, 545,012 tarpaulins, 3.4 million mosquito nets, 1.995 million ration bags, 807,057 litres of drinking water, and 178,980 blankets have been distributed among the flood affected people. The items have been distributed by PDMA, NDMA, Pak navy, Pakistan Airforce, and other organisations.
Stipend for doctors
Secretary Health, Zulfiqar Shah told the cabinet that the Ministry of National Health Services has increased the postgraduate stipend from Rs73,000 to Rs104,390 per month and the house officers’ stipend from Rs40,000 to Rs69,600 per month.
The cabinet discussed and approved the proposal of the health dept to make it at par with the stipends of the Federal Ministry of National Health Science.
Risk allowance
The health dept pointed out that the doctors were being given COVID-19 risk allowance which was withdrawn by the cabinet on October 2022. The health dept requested the cabinet to restore the health risk allowance.
The cabinet considered the request and directed the finance dept to submit its proposal.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2022.