Desperate flood-hit survivors sell relief tents to buy food
Prime minister’s promised relief package yet to be given to affected districts.
SUKKUR:
A few days ago, Shikarpur’s assistant commissioner claimed that though efforts to provide relief are under way, people have still been heaping invective on the government. But the people who have received relief goods are only a fraction of those who still need help.
Around two weeks after parts of upper Sindh were hit by heavy downpour, people in flood-hit areas await the Prime Minister’s promised assistance. And though districts’ administrations may indeed not be doing enough, a few homeless people have alarmingly started selling tents given to them for Rs2,500.
Former federal minister and Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Aijaz Jakhrani hired a contractor at the cost of Rs50 million to distribute bags of dry rations to the marooned.
Each bag contains ten kilogrammes of wheat flour, two kilogrammes of rice, one kilogramme of sugar, two kilogramme of lentils and 250 grams of tea as well as a packet of candles and match boxes. A bag’s value is not more than Rs1,000 according to the market rates of the goods, but the contractor is charging Rs2,000. Bags and tents are being given to only those people handpicked by elected representatives.
When contacted, MNA Jakhrani told The Express Tribune that he has been in Jacobabad since the downpour ended and is trying to alleviate the suffering of the marooned. He refuted claims of nepotism in awarding the contract and said that there had been no favouritism in distributing the relief goods. “Rations and tents are being distributed without discrimination.”
He noted the dearth of other government officials in supervising the relief work. “I have distributed 7,500 tents. We have demanded more tents and I am hopeful that we will get more tents in a day or two.”
Jakhrani said that the relief package promised by the prime minister has not been given to the affected districts, but packages worth Rs50 million announced by the chief minister were distributed on Saturday. “I am personally air-dropping the relief goods and have so far distributed more than 5,000 bags of dry ration in Thull taluka and areas surrounding it.”
When asked about why upper Sindh gets flooded each time it rains, MNA Jakhrani said, “It is because of the faulty drainage system.” Though a mega drainage development project worth Rs650 million is under way in Jacobabad, it will take another year to complete.
Jakhrani said that Kashmore, Jacobabad and Shikarpur cities are not included under the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) scheme. “When the prime minister visited Jacobabad, I requested him to include these cities in the project so that the drainage problem can finally be solved.”
Irrigation officials said that RBOD is going to be constructed in three phases. The first one covers the area from Ustad Mohammad, Balochistan to Shahdadkot. The second phase starts from Shahdadkot to Sehwan Sharif and the third from Sehwan Sharif to Gharo Creek.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2012.
A few days ago, Shikarpur’s assistant commissioner claimed that though efforts to provide relief are under way, people have still been heaping invective on the government. But the people who have received relief goods are only a fraction of those who still need help.
Around two weeks after parts of upper Sindh were hit by heavy downpour, people in flood-hit areas await the Prime Minister’s promised assistance. And though districts’ administrations may indeed not be doing enough, a few homeless people have alarmingly started selling tents given to them for Rs2,500.
Former federal minister and Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Aijaz Jakhrani hired a contractor at the cost of Rs50 million to distribute bags of dry rations to the marooned.
Each bag contains ten kilogrammes of wheat flour, two kilogrammes of rice, one kilogramme of sugar, two kilogramme of lentils and 250 grams of tea as well as a packet of candles and match boxes. A bag’s value is not more than Rs1,000 according to the market rates of the goods, but the contractor is charging Rs2,000. Bags and tents are being given to only those people handpicked by elected representatives.
When contacted, MNA Jakhrani told The Express Tribune that he has been in Jacobabad since the downpour ended and is trying to alleviate the suffering of the marooned. He refuted claims of nepotism in awarding the contract and said that there had been no favouritism in distributing the relief goods. “Rations and tents are being distributed without discrimination.”
He noted the dearth of other government officials in supervising the relief work. “I have distributed 7,500 tents. We have demanded more tents and I am hopeful that we will get more tents in a day or two.”
Jakhrani said that the relief package promised by the prime minister has not been given to the affected districts, but packages worth Rs50 million announced by the chief minister were distributed on Saturday. “I am personally air-dropping the relief goods and have so far distributed more than 5,000 bags of dry ration in Thull taluka and areas surrounding it.”
When asked about why upper Sindh gets flooded each time it rains, MNA Jakhrani said, “It is because of the faulty drainage system.” Though a mega drainage development project worth Rs650 million is under way in Jacobabad, it will take another year to complete.
Jakhrani said that Kashmore, Jacobabad and Shikarpur cities are not included under the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) scheme. “When the prime minister visited Jacobabad, I requested him to include these cities in the project so that the drainage problem can finally be solved.”
Irrigation officials said that RBOD is going to be constructed in three phases. The first one covers the area from Ustad Mohammad, Balochistan to Shahdadkot. The second phase starts from Shahdadkot to Sehwan Sharif and the third from Sehwan Sharif to Gharo Creek.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2012.