KARACHI: The heavy rains of August 2020 had inundated 519,904 acres of agricultural and barren lands in Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad divisions, of them 400,000 acres have been cleared and dewatering of the remaining area was in progress.

This was disclosed in a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at the CM House on Tuesday to review disposal of water from submerged areas and relief work going on there.

The CM said he along with PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had visited the rain affected areas. “The people were facing hardships and lost their near ones, cattle and homes,” he said and added he was committed to rehabilitate them.

Secretary irrigation Rafiq Buriro told the chief minister that heavy downpour had inundated 519904.8 acres in three districts, including 199737.08 in Mirpurkhas district, 153646.29 acres in Sanghar and 166521.44 acres in Umerkot. He added that so far 400,000 acres of land have been cleared and still over 100,000 acres were being cleared.

The chief minister was told that two independent smaller drainage systems, Karo-Ghungro and Phuleli-Guni were built to provide relief to the Kotri barrage command areas.

Secretary irrigation said the monsoon 2020 rains emerged at the end of 3rd week of August 2020. The pattern of rainfall was severe in the districts of Mirpurkhas, Tando Muhammad Khan and Badin. However, the rainfall in the Sanghar district was high.

Due to concentrated rainfall in the catchments of South-East Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot have given high rise in the Spinal Drain below RD 297, the outfall points of Mirpurkhas Main Drain and Dhoro Puran, and at RD 261, the Hakro Dhoro outfall. Minister for Rehabilitation Sarfraz Dero said 31138 villages and 76,438 households were affected, 22173 katcha and pacca houses were partially damaged and 7640 katcha and pacca houses completely damaged, eight persons died, 13 injured, 4189 persons were shifted to 39 camps.

In Sanghar133,081 people were affected in 2406 people, 14460 houses partially and 16959 houses completely damaged nine people died, 11 injured, 52091 cattle perished and 8547 persons shifted in three camps.

The chief minister was told that 137,753 household in 3305 villages were badly affected, 54047 katcha and pacca houses completely and 83706 houses partially damaged, seven people died, one injured, 4608 cattle perished and 91,757 affected persons were shifted to 88 camps established in the district.

In Tharparkar 42082 people were affected in 1223 villages, 16442 houses partially and 19710 completely damaged, 18 persons injured and 14 cattle perished.

The minister said 242,460 population was affected, 27793 houses damaged partially and 15271 completely, 12 persons died, one injured, 4079 cattle perished and 101 cattle perished.

In Sujawal 8984 people were affected in 1056 villages, 6101 houses partially and 3596 completely damaged.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020