Cyclone Nanauk: ‘Be my guest and let the mosquitoes feast on you’
High tides hit the coastal villages on June 11 but the safety dike has not been renovated yet.
Houses in Rehri Goth were flooded as the recent cyclone passed the Arabian Sea. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Cyclone Nanauk may not have hit any part of the country directly, but it did send some high tides over the Arabian Sea which damaged several villages along the sea coast
Some of these areas include fishermen villages such as Dablo Parra, Chashma Jat Parro, Syed Sache Dino and Lat Basti. The villages were hit by severe waves which submerged residences and valuables within a few hours.
High tides hit the coastal villages on June 11 but the safety dike of Dablo Parro has not been renovated yet. The dewatering process has not started either and the villagers are being forced to sleep on their charpoy in knee-deep water.
The water enters the area twice a day for at least six hours. "The water enters early in the morning and late evening as well since the dike is damaged," said Massi Riyasti, one of the guides. "Look at the speed at which the water is gushing in. It hits the walls directly and washes away our belongings."
The water looks green and is stagnant. It also smells making it more difficult for the villagers to sleep at night.
"Be my guest tonight and get a firsthand experience how they [mosquitoes] serve you," said Babu, a fisherman while sitting on a table floating on water inside his house. His wife and a two-year-old boy were sitting with him. "Let me show you where the mosquitoes have bit me on my body." He added that most of the children in the village had some sort of skin disease because of the recent events.
Talib Kutchi suggested that the situation might normalise if the embankment was repaired. He claimed that all that was needed was three to four trucks of mud and stones.
"The water brought a lot of garbage like bottles and shopping bags. This is not our trash. We cannot afford these things," said Fehmida Majeed of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum. She added that the garbage came in with the tides and can be seen all over the settlements.
Carrying his infant in his arms, Usman Dablo told The Express Tribune that the several officials visited the area but did nothing. He said that what they needed was immediate relief. Siddique Dablo, another fisherman, felt exploited by politicians. He said that there were no schools, hospitals or even a sewerage system in the area. He added that the politicians only thought of them when they need the votes.
He claimed that the relief operation was not the real solution and was limited to distributing biryani twice a day. "How long will they feed us biryani?" he said. "Our homes are under water during this season but whenever a cyclone crosses our water, the situation gets out of control."
For Riyasti the only solution is to construct a dike. "We are also human and want to live in comfort," said the aged women. There are many empty and damaged homes in the area and according to villagers, more than two dozen families have moved to other villages located in Rehri Goth.
"It is not possible to live in this dirt," said Majeed. "Some other families also plan to move because of the tide and constant flow of water into the village."
The people of Dablo Parro say that it will take them at least a year to repair their homes. They claim the dewatering process is difficult as the village doesn't have a sewerage system. The gutter water, according to Talib flows into the sea.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 18th, 2014.
Cyclone Nanauk may not have hit any part of the country directly, but it did send some high tides over the Arabian Sea which damaged several villages along the sea coast
Some of these areas include fishermen villages such as Dablo Parra, Chashma Jat Parro, Syed Sache Dino and Lat Basti. The villages were hit by severe waves which submerged residences and valuables within a few hours.
High tides hit the coastal villages on June 11 but the safety dike of Dablo Parro has not been renovated yet. The dewatering process has not started either and the villagers are being forced to sleep on their charpoy in knee-deep water.
The water enters the area twice a day for at least six hours. "The water enters early in the morning and late evening as well since the dike is damaged," said Massi Riyasti, one of the guides. "Look at the speed at which the water is gushing in. It hits the walls directly and washes away our belongings."
The water looks green and is stagnant. It also smells making it more difficult for the villagers to sleep at night.
"Be my guest tonight and get a firsthand experience how they [mosquitoes] serve you," said Babu, a fisherman while sitting on a table floating on water inside his house. His wife and a two-year-old boy were sitting with him. "Let me show you where the mosquitoes have bit me on my body." He added that most of the children in the village had some sort of skin disease because of the recent events.
Talib Kutchi suggested that the situation might normalise if the embankment was repaired. He claimed that all that was needed was three to four trucks of mud and stones.
"The water brought a lot of garbage like bottles and shopping bags. This is not our trash. We cannot afford these things," said Fehmida Majeed of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum. She added that the garbage came in with the tides and can be seen all over the settlements.
Carrying his infant in his arms, Usman Dablo told The Express Tribune that the several officials visited the area but did nothing. He said that what they needed was immediate relief. Siddique Dablo, another fisherman, felt exploited by politicians. He said that there were no schools, hospitals or even a sewerage system in the area. He added that the politicians only thought of them when they need the votes.
He claimed that the relief operation was not the real solution and was limited to distributing biryani twice a day. "How long will they feed us biryani?" he said. "Our homes are under water during this season but whenever a cyclone crosses our water, the situation gets out of control."
For Riyasti the only solution is to construct a dike. "We are also human and want to live in comfort," said the aged women. There are many empty and damaged homes in the area and according to villagers, more than two dozen families have moved to other villages located in Rehri Goth.
"It is not possible to live in this dirt," said Majeed. "Some other families also plan to move because of the tide and constant flow of water into the village."
The people of Dablo Parro say that it will take them at least a year to repair their homes. They claim the dewatering process is difficult as the village doesn't have a sewerage system. The gutter water, according to Talib flows into the sea.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 18th, 2014.