Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday presided over a joint meeting of different departments and told them to complete their assigned tasks in a coordinated way to provide relief to flood victims.
The meeting was attended by Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Information Minister Sharjeel Memon, Advisor Manzoor Wassan, Law Advisor Murtaza Wahab, Rehabilitation Advisor Rasool Bux Chandio, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Livestock Secretary Tamiz Khero, Works Secretary Imran Atta, Commander Engineering 5 Corps Brigadier Nayar, Commander Logistic Brigadier Anjum, Brigadier Inam and representatives of COMCOAST, and Southern air command.
Briefing the meeting, the irrigation secretary said that heavy rains inundated the right bank of the Indus River and further raised the level of RBOD. “All the channels of irrigation and drainage were flowing beyond their maximum capacity and caused a number of breaches in drains and channels of the irrigation network. Most of the areas of Qambar, Shahdadkot, Qubo Saeed Khan, Warah, Nasirabad, Mehar, KN Shah and Johi are underwater.”
The CM was told that Manchar Lake attained a level of 123.3 feet on September 5 against its ever maximum level of 121.65 feet during the 2010 floods. “A cut was made to the lake to save Sehwan city. Another cut was made along RD-52 to reduce the water level. The water from the cuts is inundating union councils of Jamshoro district such as Bubak, Wahur, Arazi, Channa, Jaffarabad and their surrounding areas.”
CM’s Advisor on Agriculture Manzoor Wassan briefed the chief minister about the damages caused to crops. The chief minister directed the agriculture department to work out a plan on how much land could be prepared for sowing late Rabi crops. “You should prepare a plan to support growers for the provision of seeds, fertilizer and technological help so that they can grow wheat and vegetables,” he said.
The chief minister said that unprecedented rains have affected 10.48 million people in 23 districts of the province.
“The calamity has displaced 6.286 million people of whom 576,121 have been shifted to camps. This is one of the greatest humanitarian crises, therefore, we as a government and its agencies have to work together for the rehabilitation of the affected people,” he said.
Shah said that the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Air force along with the civil administration were carrying out rescue and relief work.
The chief minister directed the health department to set up a network of medical camps in the affected areas to provide free medical aid to the people. The CM directed the livestock department to set up camps to vaccinate cattle and arrange fodder for them.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) told the chief minister that they have distributed 153,940 tents, 978,431 mosquito nets, 99,960 plastic tarpaulins and 158,745 ration bags among flood victims. The Corps -5 representatives said that they have collected 2,225 tonnes of relief goods and distributed 1,901 tonnes of ration bags and 19,976 tents.
At this, the chief minister directed the PDMA to coordinate with the Corp 5 team so that duplication could be avoided. It was shared that the Pakistan Army had rescued 15,021 people and set up 83 relief and medical camps in different districts. The chief minister said that donor agencies, and various neighbouring and brotherly countries were also extending their support to rehabilitate flood victims.
