Cyclone Nilofar: Residents rely on own experience to evacuate
Despite warnings, coastal residents will judge water levels on their own
KARACHI:
It’s a good thing Cyclone Nilofar is not going to hit the coast of Karachi as the residents of its islands have not evacuated despite official warnings.
The residents of the coastal areas, such as Mubarak Village, Baba and Bhit islands, said they will judge the water levels on their own. If they feel it is rising or the cyclone gains severity today, they will then shift their women and children to safer places.
“We are already living at the mercy of nature,” said Azam Baloch, a resident of Mubarak Village. “They [officials] remember us only when there is a natural calamity.” These people are sceptical of the authorities and refused to budge when officials visited them on Thursday and warned them that they will be arrested if they did not evacuate.
Baloch pointed out that their village located close to the port city lacks basic facilities, such as potable water, health and education facilities. The residents are reluctant to move to any government facility as they had bad experiences in the past.
The people of this village will take shelter on the hills in case of an emergency but will not move to any other area, said Muhammad Naeem, another resident. “Where can we go? Who will be responsible for the damages we suffer? Will the government compensate?” Naeem asked these questions angrily before concluding: “The government has never given serious attention to fishing communities.”
The same views were shared by the residents of Baba and Bhit islands, where the officials had failed to pay even a customary visit.
“We’ll leave the area without the government’s support,” pointed out Muhammad Hussain, a resident of Baba Island. “We’ll take Edhi’s help, who always supports us and provides us vehicles to evacuate,” he added.
Hussain explained that the elders of the islands prefer to shift the women and children first whenever a cyclone is expected. “We’ll shift them to our relatives’ homes in Lyari, Keamari, Khokhrapar and New Karachi,” he said. Hussain admitted that there is a risk even if the cyclone subsides. Nearly 40 per cent of the roofs on this island will be damaged if the winds are strong, he feared.
Meanwhile, in the fishing village Ibrahim Hyderi, there are announcements being made for residents to take shelter in camps. The residents are, however, wary of the arrangements. “What about our children’s food? What about washrooms for women?” asked Mohammad Siddique. He said there are no doctors or ambulances.
In the line of fire
Karachi may have been spared by the cyclone which started losing intensity on Thursday, parts of Sindh’s coastal belt were still in the path of Cyclone Nilofar.
Despite the urgent need for residents of Thatta district to evacuate, people refused to move to government camps. “The capacity of the camps is insufficient to accommodate nearly 20,000 people of Kharo Chhan and Keti Bunder. We are not animals,” said Muhammad Shafi Baloch of Kharro Chhan. A similar cyclone developed on November 15, 1993, and the local fishing community lost out on its ideal fishing season. Shafi said they are going through the same ordeal this year.
“There is no drinking water or food at the camps,” screamed Asif Laghari, who came to Government Boys Secondary School, Jati tehsil, relief camp along with eight families from Ameen Mori village.
According to Thatta DC Agha Shahnawaz Babur, around 3,000 people have shifted to the camps and other safer places. But the people from 13 islands near Thatta have yet to be evacuated. The administration has set up 17 camps. Badin’s DC Mohammad Rafiq Qureshi said the government has set up 68 relief camps, 30 medical and three veterinary camps. But the camps are largely empty so far. Meanwhile, around 200 boats carrying over 1,200 fishermen are still in the sea.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2014.
It’s a good thing Cyclone Nilofar is not going to hit the coast of Karachi as the residents of its islands have not evacuated despite official warnings.
The residents of the coastal areas, such as Mubarak Village, Baba and Bhit islands, said they will judge the water levels on their own. If they feel it is rising or the cyclone gains severity today, they will then shift their women and children to safer places.
“We are already living at the mercy of nature,” said Azam Baloch, a resident of Mubarak Village. “They [officials] remember us only when there is a natural calamity.” These people are sceptical of the authorities and refused to budge when officials visited them on Thursday and warned them that they will be arrested if they did not evacuate.
Baloch pointed out that their village located close to the port city lacks basic facilities, such as potable water, health and education facilities. The residents are reluctant to move to any government facility as they had bad experiences in the past.
The people of this village will take shelter on the hills in case of an emergency but will not move to any other area, said Muhammad Naeem, another resident. “Where can we go? Who will be responsible for the damages we suffer? Will the government compensate?” Naeem asked these questions angrily before concluding: “The government has never given serious attention to fishing communities.”
The same views were shared by the residents of Baba and Bhit islands, where the officials had failed to pay even a customary visit.
“We’ll leave the area without the government’s support,” pointed out Muhammad Hussain, a resident of Baba Island. “We’ll take Edhi’s help, who always supports us and provides us vehicles to evacuate,” he added.
Hussain explained that the elders of the islands prefer to shift the women and children first whenever a cyclone is expected. “We’ll shift them to our relatives’ homes in Lyari, Keamari, Khokhrapar and New Karachi,” he said. Hussain admitted that there is a risk even if the cyclone subsides. Nearly 40 per cent of the roofs on this island will be damaged if the winds are strong, he feared.
Meanwhile, in the fishing village Ibrahim Hyderi, there are announcements being made for residents to take shelter in camps. The residents are, however, wary of the arrangements. “What about our children’s food? What about washrooms for women?” asked Mohammad Siddique. He said there are no doctors or ambulances.
In the line of fire
Karachi may have been spared by the cyclone which started losing intensity on Thursday, parts of Sindh’s coastal belt were still in the path of Cyclone Nilofar.
Despite the urgent need for residents of Thatta district to evacuate, people refused to move to government camps. “The capacity of the camps is insufficient to accommodate nearly 20,000 people of Kharo Chhan and Keti Bunder. We are not animals,” said Muhammad Shafi Baloch of Kharro Chhan. A similar cyclone developed on November 15, 1993, and the local fishing community lost out on its ideal fishing season. Shafi said they are going through the same ordeal this year.
“There is no drinking water or food at the camps,” screamed Asif Laghari, who came to Government Boys Secondary School, Jati tehsil, relief camp along with eight families from Ameen Mori village.
According to Thatta DC Agha Shahnawaz Babur, around 3,000 people have shifted to the camps and other safer places. But the people from 13 islands near Thatta have yet to be evacuated. The administration has set up 17 camps. Badin’s DC Mohammad Rafiq Qureshi said the government has set up 68 relief camps, 30 medical and three veterinary camps. But the camps are largely empty so far. Meanwhile, around 200 boats carrying over 1,200 fishermen are still in the sea.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2014.