HYDERABAD: Sindh Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit and Focal Person for Rain Emergency in Hyderabad Sharjeel Inam Memon addressing a press conference at Tando Jam Sunday said that due to rising water level in Manchar Lake the government decided to save the two towns Sehwan and Bhan Saeedabad and the irrigation experts decided to make a breach and saved Sehwan having 3,00,000 population alone.
He said that five UCs, Jafarabad, Wahur, Channa, Aarazi and UC Bubak, would be affected by the breach in Manchar Lake. He said arrangements have already been made to shift people from there, adding Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah himself had reached Sehwan.
He informed that 563 deaths and more than 22,000 injuries have been reported while more than 6,72000 people are staying in relief camps.
He said that more than 100,000 cattle heads had been killed in the province. He said utility stores had been given order to arrange 115,000 ration bags but only 8,000 ration bags had been received so far, adding that as the utility stores have showed slackness it was decided to give orders to private vendors.
He said that the most affected areas were being given more focus in relief work and added that 23 districts were surrounded by water.
Water in Manchhar lake rises to tipping point
He informed that dispensaries in every relief camp were being established while pregnant women in the relief camps would be shifted to hospitals where emergency had been declared.
He urged upon philanthropists, federal and provincial institutions to play their vital role in relief and rescue works. He said that people of affected districts were coming to the cities while 125,000 people affected by Manchar Lake would also be shifted to tent cities where they would be provided food and medical facilities.
He said that rescue and relief was their first priority and resources were required for them. He said that if there had been given a cut somewhere, the concerned institutions had been taken into confidence while hard decisions had been taken to save the population.
He said that as a result of the cut in the Manchar, the Sindh Chief Minister’s own village and house are also submerged. Sharjeel Inam Memon said it was the huge natural disaster and they had no prior training or capacity to deal with it. He said that e data was being collected to estimate the losses.
He said that once the flood water passed, dewatering work would be started in the submerged areas. He said that for rehabilitation of affected people policies are being made.
He said in the first phase, the infrastructure would be restored and in the second phase, affected people would be helped to rebuild their collapsed houses.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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