THATTA: With general elections around the corner as many as 70 villages of Thatta district are yet to recover from the aftershocks of the 2022 flood. Dwellers of these villages have been living in tents and makeshift shelters, since their return to the villages from flood relief camps in 2022.
The elected representatives of the district assured flood affected villagers to commence rehabilitation work in the villages along with development schemes but nothing in this regard has happened yet.
The villages of Union Council Tando Hafiz Shah and Sufi Shoro are in dire need of rehabilitation. Haleema, a lady of Syed Ameer Shah village narrating her misery said: ” We have been braving harsh weather since our return.
Several governmental and non-governmental organisations came here to conduct surveys but it was only a survey, as we saw nothing happening good for us”.
Allah Bux, another annoyed villager, said that; the government official kept visiting their village and ensured that they would be provided with well-furnished houses but so far nothing had happened. Villagers deplored the indifferent attitude of elected representatives who had never visited the affected areas since 2022.
Nabi Bux, a peasant shedding tears said; “We live along the bank of the Indus River and have been braving floods since 2010 but have not seen this kind of reluctance before”; adding that they had staged protests several times but all their hue and cry landed on deaf ears.
Social activist and senior journalist Iqbal Jakhro said that the district commissioner was assigned the task of starting rehabilitation work in the flood-affected areas of the district and a budget was also issued in this regard but the impoverished people still await rehabilitation.
During chilling weather the villagers have taken shelter in tent and straw made houses.
