After submerging the entire towns of Sujawal, Belo, Nodo Barn and Budho Talpur, floodwaters are now proceeding towards Daro city, Jati sub-division of Thatta and the industrial city of Dewan where its sugar mills are located, officials told The Express Tribune. Although the area has been protected by bunds, they are predicting that the industrial zone may be under threat by Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, flooding in Daro, the hometown of the PPP district president Arbab Wazir Memon, is likely to displace at least 40,000 people.
The government claims that at least 80 per cent of 950,000 cusecs flowing from Kotri is flowing into the Arabian Sea, but Monday night’s situation led locals to think otherwise. “Our towns are being submerged one after the other. It seems as if 80 per cent of this water is entering our district,” remarked a local activist.
On Sunday evening, when the Kot Aalmoon breach near MS embankment flooded Sujawal town, residents of Thatta town were sceptical of the government’s efforts to save the town. Fear led to mass evacuation from the city. However, by Monday evening, life in Thatta was back to normal.
“Saving Thatta town was the biggest challenge for us as it is the district headquarters,” Thatta DCO Manzoor Sheikh told The Express Tribune. “Irrigation officials and the army have been able to contain all breaches and I can assure you that Thatta is now safe.”
The panic caused by the DCO’s earlier warning when floodwaters were only four kilometres away, led to the displacement of nearly 50,000 people from the town, officials estimate.
However, the previous day’s orders of protecting the city by building temporary embankments around the town were yet to be withdrawn as excavators were seen working on the ground in Chhato Goth near the Badshahi Mosque where they are not needed. “I was sent here by my thekedaar (contractor) two days back and have been asked to build an embankment using this mud to protect the Badshahi Mosque,” says Shahid. “But now I hear that Thatta is safe. People are now returning to their homes. The shops have opened too. I feel like a fool working in this area now. They should use our services in other areas like Sujawal,” he said.
Shahid says he is even more frustrated because the local landlord comes every few hours and abuses him because they are using his sand. “He says his lands are more important than the people of Thatta and does not let us work. On the other hand, our contractor keeps asking for an update,” he added.
As confusion prevails in Thatta, many like Shahid feel it is too early to celebrate. The DCO agrees. “We’ve done our best and the flood force is not as high now, but it will take eight to nine days before the water stops exerting pressure on the embankments and flows back to the riverbed,” Sheikh said. “Plus the flooding of Sujawal yesterday has left us shocked,” he added.
Rescue efforts were under way in Sujawal and its adjoining villages on Monday. About 500 people were saved by Pakistan Navy boats and shifted to relief camps in Makli and along the Thatta-Badin highway. Meanwhile, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) managed to save 400 people, a majority of whom were from Belo town and Raanto village. Since the road link from Thatta to Sujawal has been suspended, stranded villages in Jati, Chohar Jamali and Sujawal are being rescued via Badin.
“We rescued most people from their rooftops,” said Ayub Shah of the PFF. “These were either people who stayed back in Sujawal to guard their houses and belongings or those who did not have the money to commute and move to a safer location.”
The meteorological department said that though inflows at the Kotri Barrage were receding it maintained its “significant” flood forecast. The Flood Forecasting Centre said the Indus River at Kotri would “continue in exceptionally high flood level” for another 24 hours. (additional input from AFP)
Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2010.
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