Relief efforts: Food items dispatched to Thar

60 trucks carrying 566 tonnes of edibles, including 75,000 kg rice had been dispatched.

LAHORE:

“The Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has started providing water and food to families in the drought-affected districts in Thar,” Relief Commissioner Nadeem Ashraf said on Wednesday.

He was presiding over a meeting to review relief efforts.  He said 60 trucks carrying 566 tonnes of edibles, including 75,000 kg rice, 40,000 mineral water bottles and 20,000 food hampers worth Rs50 million had been dispatched.

PDMA Director General Muhammad Asif, Operations Director Zaheer Abbas and Deputy Director Syed Zafar Haider Shamsi were also present.  Ashraf said each food hamper weighed 21.5 kg. He said every food hamper contained flour, sugar, lentils, rice, ghee, tea, powdered milk, salt, red chilli and a match box.  He said the government was in touch with the Sindh government.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2014.