In a move to help drought victims, Sindh Relief department asked Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of Mirpurkhas, Badin, Umerkot and Khairpur Mir's for the detailed report over the drought conditions, Business Recorder learnt here on Monday.
Major districts Mirpurkhas, Badin, Umerkot and Khairpur Mir's are facing "mid-drought" conditions disclosed by the Drought Monitor map on August 16, on Pak Mets website which was then quoted by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) in its letter written to concerned DCs.
The letter No Dir(Ops)/ PDMA/1435/2012 stated that: "Drought Monitor Map of August 16, on Pak Mets website shows the parts of Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Badin and Umerkot districts in "mid-drought condition". Following the letter of PDMA, the Relief department has also written letters in this regard to concerned DCs for detailed report on the mid-drought conditions and required material for the victims in case of full drought, sources said.
When contacted, Haleem Adil Shaikh, Advisor to Chief Minister for Relief department told Business Recorder that his department is working hard to assess the situations of districts which could be affected by drought if late monsoon rains would not fall. He said that not only, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Umerkot and Khairpur Mir's districts but some other districts could be affected by drought where people use to cultivate on rains.
He said that Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on August 19, 2012, had already declared Tharparkar district a calamity-hit area. "And, if we feel need, we will move more summaries in this regard," he added. "He said that he and his team had visited Tharparkar and would visit again on August 28 (today), and the Sindh government would not let the people of these districts alone and every possible help would be provided to them at any cost," he vowed.