Meteorological scare: Sindh could face possible drought in arid zones

KARACHI:

The meteorological department and government officials have backtracked on their earlier claims that Sindh would face fresh floods. Officials now speak of a possible drought in Thar and other arid zones of the province.

“Sindh would suffer the most because it will hardly receive five to nine millimetres (mm) of rain as compared to 56mm in the monsoon season, which starts from July to September,” said Haleem Adil Shaikh, the relief department’s adviser to the chief minister. Contact with meteorological officials could not be immediately established to get their version on the latest predictions.

The Sindh relief department is now focusing on preparations for Tharparkar, Dadu, Sanghar and Jamshoro. A report on the meteorological department’s prediction has been sent to the chief minister. Sindh will face a shortage of rainfall by 91 per cent compared to the last two years, Shaikh said. Punjab is projected to face a shortage in rainfall by 29 per cent, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faces 43 per cent and Balochistan faces 34 per cent.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17^th, 2012.