PM pledges Rs1b for flood-ravaged areas of Sindh

Nawaz directs authorities to speed up rehabilitation of affected people.

SUKKUR:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday announced Rs1 billion in assistance for the flood-ravaged areas of Sindh while assuring the provincial administration of all possible help in providing relief to tens of thousands of people affected by the deluge induced by the monsoon rains.

Addressing a gathering of flood-stricken people in Ghotki, he said the federal government would leave no stone unturned to provide maximum relief to them. “Apart from tents and food, solar panels have been distributed among the affected people,” he said and proposed provision of fans to the shelter-less people in order to beat the scorching heat.

The prime minister said he had taken an aerial view of the swamped areas and directed the authorities to brief him about the losses. He told the affected people that it was the government duty to facilitate them in the testing times. He appreciated Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and his administration for taking steps to provide relief to the flood-hit people.



Earlier, the prime minister arrived at Qadirpur and Shank Band, in Ghotki, where Irrigation Secretary Syed Zaheer Shah and Provincial Disaster Management Authority’s Director General Suleman Shah briefed him about the relief and rescue operation.

He was informed that standing crops, mostly sugarcane and cotton, were affected by the flood on 95,000 acres while 60,000 marooned people had been shifted to relief camps with the help of Pakistan Army and civil administration

Some 19,000 displaced people were being provided food, dry ration and medicines at the relief camps. As many as 6,500 packets of relief goods have so far been distributed while more than 250 relief camps had been set up, the PM was told.

The officials informed the premier that the water flow at Sukkur was currently 725,000 cusecs, while it had witnessed high floods of up to 825,000 cusecs in the past. He was also told that the embankments had been strengthened and their heights were elevated by up to four feet.

The provincial authorities informed the prime minister that timely evacuation and early warnings had helped control human loss and even infrastructure damage was mitigated due to preventive measures for flood control.

While briefing the prime minister, Chief Minister Shah said the flood has displaced over 375,000 people in the katcha area of three districts – Khairpur, Sukkur and Ghotki. Apart from displacement of the people, 350,000 acres of farmlands have been swamped.

Giving the breakdown, he added that 157,490 people have been displaced in Khairpur, 123,045 in Sukkur and 95,000 in Ghotki. He added that overall 218 cattle heads have been lost in the flood and standing crops on 350,445 acres of farmland have been destroyed and 7,272 houses have damaged or destroyed.

The prime minister, while lauding the untiring efforts of the Sindh government, said that Chief Minister Shah and members of his cabinet were busy in visiting various protective embankments and supervising rescue and relief operations, which was highly laudable. Besides this, he said, the district administrations were providing every possible assistance to the flood affected people to mitigate their sufferings.

The prime minister also urged the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), PDMA and Sukkur administration to remain vigilant till the end of the monsoon season with focus on flood control and management.

He also directed authorities to devise methods and do planning for preventing the flood incidence to the minimal level so that the damage to life and property could be contained in case of natural disasters. He advised the authorities to raise the standards of preparedness for disaster management, adding that he was monitoring the flood situation personally and would keep visiting the flood areas to supervise the relief and rescue activities.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2015.