HYDERABAD: Commis­sio­ners of the Hyderabad, Sukkur, Lar­kana and Mir­pur­khas divisions have iss­u­ed necessary directives to their respective deputy com­­m­i­ssioners to make arr­a­n­­ge­­ments to cope with any emergency arising out of the heavy rains forecast to start in Sindh within the next few days.

The directives came amid widespread complaints of the failure of almost all district administrations to deal with flooding and other issues that cropped up after the recent downpour in the province.

Hyderabad Commissi­oner Abdul Waheed Shaikh has also asked the management of Water and Sanita­tion Age­ncy (Wasa) to carry out desil­ting of storm-water drains and sewers before the expec­ted start of the next spell on Friday or Saturday.

Presiding over a meeting here on Tuesday to review the aftermath of the previous downpour that unlea­shed flooding in Hyder­abad district, the commissioner said that all storm-water drains and sewers be clea­r­ed of garbage and filth to ensure a smooth drainage of rainwater.

The commissioner also direc­ted the officials concerned to ensure removal of all encroachments from the storm-water drains. He stres­s­ed that the issue be resolved on a permanent basis.

He also asked the departments concerned to take appropriate mea­s­ures for the lifting and disposal of offal during the Eid days.

The commissioner asked the Hyderabad Electric Sup­­ply Comp­any (Hesco) management to imp­rove its distribution system and hold back its load management regime during the Eid days.

Hyderabad Deputy Com­m­i­s­sio­ner Syed Aijaz Ali Shah informed the meeting that in view of the expected downpour, the district adm­i­n­is­tration had already sou­n­­ded a ‘high alert’ and cancelled leaves of the staff of all the departments cocerned.—Agencies

Minister warns officials against negligence

Hanif Samoon in Badin adds: Sindh Minister for Agriculture Mohammad Ism­ail Rahu has asked officials of both the irrigation department and Sindh Irri­ga­­tion and Drainage Autho­rity (Sida) to make all req­uired arran­ge­ments for coping with aftermath of heavy rainfall which had been forecast to hit lower region of the province within next few days.

He told this reporter that there was an urgent need to reinforce vulnerable dykes and embankments of both irrigation canals and drains in Badin district since weather websites including Pakis­tan Meteorological Dep­art­ment had predicted that a strong rain system was likely to hit southern districts of Sindh including Badin from Friday onward.

He said that he, together with the district administration, was busy round the clock to ensure that dykes did not suffer any damage in case of heavy rainfall in the district. “We are ready to provide every available relief and other facilities to people in case of the predicted heavy rainfall,” he said and asked the district administration officials to remain on high alert as per directions of Sindh government’s functionaries.

Mr Rahu warned officials who failed to perform their duties honestly and diligently during heavy rains of stern action.

“We could not complete repair work at certain points of drains and irrigation minors due to lack of funds despite our sincere efforts,” he said.

He claimed that all departments of Sindh government faced financial crunch because the federal government had stopped releasing funds to the provincial government.

He said that recent rains had given great boost to agriculture in Thar, mountainous areas of Dadu and Jamshoro districts and the areas which faced water crisis. People of Thar might get abundant yield of their traditional crops if the region received expected heavy rains in coming weeks. Now almost all tail-end areas of the district were being provided ample quantity of water, he said.

He said in answer to a question about latest reshuffle in the provincial cabinet that it was a routine move made on the direction of top leadership of the party.

He praised political acumen of Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari with reg­ard to worsening situation in India-held Kashmir and suggested that all political forces should sit together in a joint session of parliament to mull over naked aggression by the Indian government.

Mr Rahu said that any move by the federal government to tinker with the 18th Amendment to the Constitu­tion regarding provincial autonomy would be resisted by people of Sindh and other provinces.

“This is not the right time for the federal government to create unrest among people by playing dirty tricks with political rivals,” he warned.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2019