THATTA: As rain continued to lash Thar swollen storm drains wrecked havoc on human settlements, inundating hundreds of villages in Thatta and Dadu, while residents of flooding-hit localities demonstrated against the administration’s failure to drain out rainwater and power outages in Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas on Monday.

In Thatta, hill torrents caused by heavy rains in Khirthar range area for the past four days have cut off about a dozen villages along Jhimpir from the rest of the world.

Marooned villagers told media through cell phones the rain had revitalized grazing grounds and raised underground water level but because of lack of small culverts and raised tracks most of the population had been trapped in their villages and needed administrations’ help.

In Dadu, heavy rain in Khirthar range and Kachho belt raised level of natural rain drain Nai Gaaj Nullah to 14 feet, which led to inundation of 70 small and big villages while road link to 200 villages in Johi, Sehwan and parts of Kachho had already been cut off since the start of rains.

Water overflowing from Nai Gaaj Nullah has damaged Wahi Pandhi-Johi road at three places and also touched the flood protective dyke in Johi. Thousands of people in 200 villages are stranded and face shortages of medicines, food and water.

Abdul Aziz, a social worker, said the government had done nothing to evacuate people from the marooned villages, which were in the drain’s bed and faced the danger of getting washed away completely if more rainwater flowed into it.

Adviser to chief minister on irrigation, Babar Hussain Effendi, said that Manchhar Lake and flood protective dyke were safe from water of Nai Gaaj.

In Hyderabad, residents of Liberty Chowk, Sarfaraz Colony, Hussainabad and Paretabad blocked roads by burning tyres as they protested against Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) for frequent power breakdowns.

The protesters complained the power supply that went off in Liberty Plaza on Saturday afternoon had not been restored even after two days.

They said the pole-mounted transformer had gone out of order and SDO of Hesco Sarfaraz Colony subdivision was demanding thousands of rupees as a bribe for repairing the PMT.

The protesters in Hussainabad and Paretabad complained that they had been facing prolonged outages since last Wednesday when monsoon rain started.

Residents of Pinjra Pul, Latifabad Unit-7 and 11 and Mehar Ali Housing Scheme also demonstrated against stagnating rainwater. Besides, the areas of Phulelli Tanga Stand, Pinjra Pul, Cloth Market, Gaushala, Makrani Para, Railway Colony, Station Road, Parts of Latifabad number 2, 7, 8, 9, 10 and11, Anwar and Faraz Villas, Sheedi Goth, Naseem Nagar and others were still under water.

The protesters said that Wasa wanted to sink their localities and swallow up the huge funds for the maintenance of sewerage. Wasa always passed the buck to Hesco for disrupting its operations but for the first time Hesco has managed to supply uninterrupted power to most areas during and after rains, depriving them of any excuse to lethargy.

Adviser to chief minister on information, Maula Bux Chandio, said during a visit to the affected localities of Qasimabad for the third day running that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and chief minister had issued special directives to dispose of rainwater and rehabilitate rain-hit population as early as possible, according to a press release.

He said that if power supply remained uninterrupted, rainwater could be drained out at the earliest. Leaves had been cancelled on the directives of CM and if any official showed negligence, he would face stern action, he said.

Sindh Minister for Local Government Jam Khan Shoro told journalists during his visit to rain-hit areas in Hyderabad district that 80 per cent of rainwater had been drained out.

He said that if Hesco supplied uninterrupted power supply, rainwater could be disposed of as early as possible. Despite heavy downpour in Hyderabad, the situation was under control, he said.

Sindh Minister for Revenue and Relief Makhdoom Jamiluzzaman who chaired a meeting in Matiari on rain emergency urged all departments concerned to finalise arrangements for rain and flood emergencies.

He directed officials to ensure drainage system remained operational at all cost and standby pumping machines were ready for draining out rainwater. The health department should cancel leaves of doctors and paramedics and supply life saving drugs immediately to hospitals, he said.

He called for anti-mosquito spray twice a day and said the irrigation department should pay attention to river embankments and mobilize all machinery and manpower to meet emergencies in case of floods.

In Mirpurkhas, many localities and roads have turned into virtual lakes exposing inefficiency of municipal committee and its failure to drain our rainwater in time.

Heaps of garbage submerged in rainwater had become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which may lead to an outbreak of malaria in the city.

Activists of civil society and NGOs condemned the district administration for its failure to drain out rainwater and said it had failed to take precautionary measures before the onset of monsoon season.

Meanwhile, a 30-foot large portion of the Samaro-Mirpurkhas section of the highway near Tharparkar sugar mill in Kot Ghulam Mohammad gave way to heavy pressure of rainwater, bringing traffic to a halt on both sides.

Local journalists said the administration should take notice of damage to the newly constructed road which proved substandard material had been used in it.

In Umerkot, heavy rain continued to lash Umerkot town, Samaro, Kunri, Pithoro, Shadi Palli, Dhoro Naro, Chhore and their adjoining areas, filling up low-lying areas and flooding crops of cotton, chili and onion, but mostly it brought good tidings to the drought-hit population who was dying by degrees from hunger.

In Badin, despite tall claims by the officials concerned the administration has failed to drain out rainwater from low-lying areas in most of the towns and villages.

Many localities in Tando Bago town including the offices of town committee and taluka education were still under knee-deep water. Badin city, Pangrio, Kadhan, Talhar, Golarchi and several villages also remain under water due to overflowing of drains and irrigation outlets.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2016