Dire situation in Balochistan: Govt should provide houses, cattle to flood victims: PBF

QUETTA: Vice Chairperson of Pakistan Businesses Forum (PBF) Balochistan Chapter, Sana Durrani said that provincial government should make houses for all those people who are affected in the floods and whoever lost their livestock, government should give them animals. Whoever lost their agricultural lands, government must help them to revive. Whatever damages have occurred, government must provide the compensation.

She said that 31 districts out of 34 in Balochistan have been affected by the floods and 10 districts have seen a lot of destruction. 64,685 houses have been partially or completely destroyed while 18 bridges and road infrastructure has been severely damaged. The provincial and federal governments have yet to unveil a complete comprehensive plan for continued relief and rehabilitation, and that is what is causing more distress amongst flood affectees.

Balochistan’s main districts, including Jaffarabad, Naseerabad and Sibi have been inundated and residents have been sitting in the open air near highways with their leftover belongings and livestock.

Sana Durrani briefed that the Balochistan government has failed to make a case for unprecedented damages due to floods, unlike the Sindh government. Local and international media are highlighting the losses suffered by the people in Sindh because the Sindh government has provided them the data. In the case of Balochistan, the public relations machinery has failed to provide the information.

Naseerabad has been the centre of flood relief activity because it was the most affected region. The area is known as the food basket of Balochistan. Most of the rural areas in the Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, and Sohbatpur districts of this division are still submerged. There are still some areas where relief goods have not reached due to mobility issues. There are still a lot of people who have camped on dry land after being dislocated from their homes by the floods. Most of them are without shelter.

Even the people living in tent settlements are facing a lot of problems. Malaria and diarrhoea are the biggest health challenges currently.

Similarly the districts adjacent to Quetta have also been affected due to the floods. Crops and orchards have been wiped out in Mastung, Pishin and Qila Saifullah. Agricultural fields here were the only source of livelihood for millions of people. Floods have destroyed them altogether.

The depression and anxiety are common among flood-affected people. “We have seen an increase in domestic violence among the families living in the tents. An administrative failure on the part of the government machinery has exacerbated the problems,” she added.

In a nutshell Balochistan’s condition is worsening day by day and they lost almost everything in flood and the government should take quick action to save their lives because there is no reason to delay the process.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022