KARACHI: Opposition lawmakers on Wednesday cast scepticism over the government’s claims about serving the public during the recent floods in a better way, but the treasury asserted that they provided relief to everyone.

The Sindh Assembly resumed its discussion on the post-flood situation in the province for the third day as opposition blamed lack of dams and deforestation for the flood devastations.

Waryam Faqir of the GDA feared that the post-flood conditions are still the worst, which may leave farmers in a financial crisis.

“The charity organizations provided ration to the flood affectees as the Sindh government slumbered,” he said adding that the affectees of his area are still taking shelters in shrines.

The deputy commissioners are still reluctant to help the flood-ravaged people, he added.

MQM’s Rabia Khatoon called for plantation and removal of encouragements over storm drains in the metropolis to ward off urban flooding, adding the farmers should also be made aware of these things.

She said that the government should not build cemented houses for those flood affectees living on the river banks. Supporting the affectees is the government’s responsibility, she added.

GDA’s Arif Jatoi refuted the treasury’s repeated claims that the government has distributed 8.36 million tents amongst the affectees. He criticized the Sindh government for not acting in line with rain forecasts.

He also claimed that the government gave relief and made tents distribution on a political basis amongst the flood affectees.

He refused to accept the government’s claims that houses for affectees will be reconstructed in one year, saying “the affectees will stay on roads for a year”.

Sindh Health Minister, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho claimed that the government provided every possible relief to the affectees in a better way.

Over 11,000 fixed and 17,000 mobile camps were set up to serve the affectees during the floods, she said, adding that patients with diseases from skin infections to diarrhoea were treated.

Some 10,000 patients were checked up for skin diseases, 1.1 million for chest, 0.9 million for diarrhoea, 0.5 million for malaria and over 1000 for dengue, she told the house, adding that some 60 cases of TB were found, besides 83 dog bites cases in flood affected areas.

PPP’s Zulfiqar Shah also claimed that his party’s government served the affectees “indiscriminately”, irrespective of their party affiliations during the floods. He said that relief goods were provided to all, though some are still helpless.

PTI’s Rabia Azfar said that floods damaged 29,000 schools of which 13000 were washed away. She said it is feared that 50 percent children would face a dropout.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022