NDMA chairman says Thar deaths are not connected to drought

NDMA Chairman says "no confirmation of severe famine", with a January report citing only a "mild drought".


Web Desk March 07, 2014
Express News screengrab showing people in Tharparkar district affected by recent drought.

According to reports from the Sindh Government, there is no direct connection between the drought and the death toll, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Saeed Aleem said on Friday evening, Express News reported.

Talking to Express News, he clarified that there was no confirmation of "severe famine" as had been reported in the media.

He added that, according to data in a January advisory by the National Drought Management Centre, a department that falls under the Pakistan Meteorological Department, only a “mild drought” was indicated in Cholistan, Tharparkar, Sukkhar, Khairpur areas.

He said that the media had highlighted the situation but the facts on ground are yet to be verified. He added that data from the Meteorological Department indicated annual rainfall of 70% in Tharparker district last year, according to which the drought situation does not seem severe.

COMMENTS (6)

Jalbani Baloch | 10 years ago | Reply

The Prime Minister should pay special attention to this drought affected area of Sindh, which has been ignored by PPP Government. Mr. Sharif, who has lost his influence in Sindh to a great extent, has a good chance to reassure the people of Sindh that he cares for them more than others including PPP, whom they have voted recurrently, and strengthen his roots in the province of Sindh. Besides this, the law and order situation of interior Sindh is getting from bad to worse, and the people are left on the mercy of dacoits and robbers,the PM should launch a massive and ruthless operation to exterminate dacoits and terrorists from both Urban and Rural Sindh, The current Sindh Government has totally failed in its prime duty of protecting the lives and properties of people of Sindh, and the situation of Sindh cannot equated with acts of terrorism taking placing in other parts of the country including KPK and Balochistan.

chaudhry | 10 years ago | Reply

keep quite dude, let the NGOs have some ration pani for some time ......

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