41 die in rain-related incidents in Sindh: standing crops worth billions destroyed

Sporadic rains in many areas of Sindh, killed over 41 in rain related incidents in two days but Minister for Rehabilitation Mazaffar Ali Shujrah termed these deaths as normal incidents. Talking to Business Recorder, he said majority of people who died of rains were over-aged and physically weak and rains were not the cause of their deaths.
He said that Rehabilitation Department and PDMA are closely monitoring the rains and its losses, a meeting would be held in Hyderabad on 3rd September 2011 (today) in the chair of Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah in this regard. Shujrah said the meeting would review the rains and its losses situation, rescue and relief activities as well.
The heavy rains have also destroyed standing cotton, paddy, sugar cane, onion, tomato, chillies, fodder and other seasonal vegetable crops to the tune of billions of rupees in the affected areas. While, hundreds of livestock swept away in the floodwaters.
In this connection, reliable sources of Sindh Rehabilitation Department, Irrigation, Revenue and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) told Business Recorder that several feet of water accumulated in low-lying areas of Hyderabad. Several feet deep water was seen standing due to choked sewerage system at Hyder Chowk, Latifabad, Station Road, and Railway Colony besides roads and streets in most parts of the city including many parts of Qasimabad.
Many areas of District Benazir Bhuttoabad (Nawabshah) had also come under the water of rains; consequently, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah announced it as calamity-hit district and directed Finance Department to release Rs 10 million initially for the relief and rescue activities.
Dadu district was also hit by intermittent heavy rains that further aggravated the situation as the district has been under the spell of heavy monsoon rains that destroyed standing crops on hundreds of acres of land. Dadu, Johi, Mehar, Kher Pur Shah, Sita Road, Kachoo, Bhan Saeed and other towns are being lashed by heavy rains submerging urban and rural areas under 2-6 feet of water.
Road links for almost all damaged cities and villages were disrupted and the residents of the affected areas were trapped in the floodwaters. The rains badly damaged the power supply and communication links also which caused worst hardships for the people. More than 50 villages in the district of Khairpur have been washed away in the onrush of flooding rain water during these days. Over 200 villages of district Badin have been inundated by accumulated rain water and two children died of epidemic disease while scores of houses caved in rural areas.
The heavy rain spell in Kashmore-Kandhkot once again aggravated the situation. A husband and wife were injured in a roof collapse at Madiji, a town of district Shikarpur, while their three children also died in the incident. In Nausehroferoze, one woman died and one person was injured in a roof collapse incident.
Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot are being lashed by heavy downpour intermittently for the last four days. Many areas of district Thatta have also came under the water of rains and more than hundred mud houses have been damaged. Mirpurkhas district has also been hit by the recent rains.
On the other side, rains have destroyed standing cotton, paddy, sugar cane, onion, tomato, chillies, fodder and other seasonal vegetable crops to the tune of billions of rupees in the affected areas. Furthermore, hundreds of livestock also swept away in the floodwaters. Almost 85 percent cotton crop and 50 percent of the sugar cane in Sindh have been destroyed.
An official of Irrigation Department told Business Recorder that all the drains of Sindh are under tremendous pressure; over design discharge is passing through the drains. He said that one breach was reported in Nawabshah drain near Gorchani, the work for plugging of breaches is in progress and would be completed shortly. He said that district administrations have imposed section 144 and if any body would make cut on any drain or canal, FIR would be lodged against the culprits.