Sindh to tell CCI it suffered Rs446b in losses

Advisers said that the figures are expected to go up.

KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet has decided to report a loss worth Rs446 billion from the floods to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) that will meet Sept 6.

The cabinet met Saturday at Chief Minister House. In a press briefing, advisers Kaiser Bengali and Jameel Soomro said that the data was calculated by August 27 but given that a few more towns, including Johi and Khairpur Nathan Shah, were flooded later, the figures are expected to go up.

The cabinet also approved Rs5,000 for each flood survivor before Eid and the money will only be given to people who registered with the government. Registration continues at the camps courtesy NADRA. People will be given ATM cards in order to make the process transparent. The forms are being filled with the names of the head of the family with the other names mentioned below.

The survivors will stay at the relief camps for up to four months and the government will bear all their expenses. “We will also support them for about one month when they will return to their villages,” said Bengali. “Because they have nothing to survive on, seeds and fertilisers will be given to them so they can start farming.”

Jacobabad district was the worst affected among the 17 flood-hit areas and Ghotki suffered the most crop damage. Eight districts have been completely submerged. These include Sukkur, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kamber-Shahdadkot, Larkana and Dadu.

In answer to a question that the Federal Flood Commission had shown that Sindh suffered lower losses, the adviser replied that the commission was not the right authority to interpret the data. The provinces send their report on the basis of which the CCI decides how much should be given to them.

Soomro said that the cabinet also decided to cancel the leaves of all ministers, advisers, special assistants and has told them to monitor all the embankments. It has been decided that Eid will be simply celebrated and Pakistan Peoples Party workers in their districts will be directed to spend the day with flood survivors in the camps. There are around 3,000 designated camps in the province where 1.3 million displaced people are living. “It is our responsibility to provide jobs and shelter to the flood victims,” Soomro said.

Responding to a question on the breaches, he said that no embankment was broken intentionally. He referred to the Bund Manual of the Irrigation department, which specifies that none of the levees can be broken. Some people have started “propaganda” against the government by raising the Tori breach issue, he said. “I can say with certainty that most of the land belonging to a PPP parliamentarian and leaders have been submerged,” he said. This matter was discussed at the cabinet session and the chief minister said that once relief and rehabilitation work is over, the issue of an inquiry will be taken up.

“A judicial commission can be set up if anyone has proof about the breaking of Tori or the other embankments,” he said, explaining that proof was needed to initiate the proceedings.

The floods are not over and an important town of Dadu district, Khairpur Nathan Shah, was just inundated as a result of which water is approaching Mehar town. “A final warning has been issued to the people of Mehar to evacuate the city and the rescue work is continuing in KN Shah and Sajawal of Thatta,” he said.

The cabinet also reviewed the Flood Relief Fund allocated by the government worth ten billion rupees. “Different amounts have been issued to different districts for the relief operations,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2010.