Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Saturday ordered the officials to conduct comprehensive survey on emergency basis of losses caused to life, property, roads and buildings by recent rains so that necessary assistance of provincial and federal government could be extended to the victims.
He said that there is still forecast of more heavy rains for two days in the province as such the survey be compiled and finalised by September 6. The Sindh CM said this while chairing a high level meeting regarding measures to cope with situation arose due to heavy rains in Sindh.
Sindh CM said that due to heavy rains, the whole of Sindh has been affected and there is wide spread disaster everywhere in the province. He added that all officers have been alerted to combat the situation and directed that precautionary measures be streamlined further. He directed to accelerate relief and rehabilitation steps so that the affected people could be provided shelter in relief camps established by District Administration in various affected localities.
He directed the Chief Secretary Sindh to co-ordinate and supervise the action being taken by DCOs and allied departments of health, education, livestock, agriculture, irrigation, revenue, relief and rehabilitation. He said that a separate survey of damages to houses should be completed early, while the figures of damages claimed by Sindh Abadgar Board to be verified at all districts within a week.
Syed Qaim Ali Shah informed that Rs 10,000 is being provided by government of Sindh to those who had suffered losses, while another instalment of Rs 10,000 will be provided by Federal Government soon. He maintained that Watan Cards of those families will be issued within one week and they will get the amount announced from ATM system.
The Director General, PDMA Saleh Farooqui, Secretaries of Irrigation, Health, Local Government, Agriculture, Education departments and Relief Commissioner Sindh briefed the meeting about damages, losses and relief and rehabilitation measures.
It was decided that the compensation to heirs of people who died in first and second phases of rains, will be paid early. It was informed that Sindh Government has allocated Rs 5 billion for rescue and relief efforts and so far Badin district has been given Rs 120 million, Mirpurkhas Rs 40 million, Tando Muhammad Khan Rs 30 million, Umerkot Rs 10 million, Tando Allahyar Rs 12 million, Thatta Rs 5 million, Tharparkar Rs 13 million, Hyderabad Rs 8 million, Sanghar Rs 3 million, Shaheed Benazirabad Rs 25 million and Khairpur District Rs 10 million.
It was decided that District monitoring committees headed by provincial Ministers/MPAs of respective districts are being formed in all districts to co-ordinate and supervise the relief and rehabilitation works. Sindh Minister for Law Muhammad Ayaz Soomro informed that PPP district Larkana provided Rs 100,000 to district hospitals Larkana for purchase of medicine for needy patients.
It was also informed that the armed forces were requested to place the Units on alert for their movement/dispatch within the shortest possible notice for search and rescue operations and to provide air cover if needed. It was further informed that the Army and Navy presently started relief work in Badin and Shaheed Benazirabad. It was informed that 878 relief camps have been established where 109,264 persons have been lodged. Forty-six persons died in the first spell and 39 in second spell while 98 people were injured. Health department has set-up 47 medical camps and 82 mobile medical camps and so far 240,515 patients have been treated.
The meeting was attended by Senior Minister Education Pir Mazharul Haq, Sindh Home Minister, Manzoor Hussain Wassan, Law Minister Muhammad Ayaz Soomro, Sindh Minister of Rehabilitation Haji Muzafar Shujra, Minister Irrigation Jam Saifullah Dharejo, Sindh Information Minister Shajeel Inam Memon, Chief Secretary Sindh Raja Muhammad Abbas, Additional Chief Secretary (P&D) Israr Malik, Senior Member, Board of Revenue/Relief Commissioner Sindh Shazir Shamoon and provincial secretaries of finance, agriculture, local government, education, irrigation , health and rehabilitation departments.