HYDERABAD: Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that 402 died and another 1,055 injured in recent downpours across Sindh. According to a preliminary estimate, the province had suffered a total loss of Rs860bn, he adde.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, he said Sindh government would compensate loss of life and property caused by the monsoon rains. He said compensation against damage to houses and crops in the affected areas would be approved.

He added that the provincial government would take measures towards waiver of interest on agricultural loans and rescheduling of loan repayment in installments by deferring them at least for one year. He said that subsidy and grants would be provided to growers on agricultural machinery, fertilizers, pesticides and seeds.

The minister said the rains this monsoon season were unusual. The rainfall in July was recorded at 308pc above normal and in August 784pc above normal.

Sharjeel pledges compensation for loss of life, property in rain-hit areas

He said that the 2010 floods had affected the right bank of the Indus and the rains and flood in 2011 affected the left bank of the river. This year’s rainfall and flood has badly affected all 30 districts of the province.

He said Sindh was now facing high-level flood as a discharge of over 550,000 cusecs through its barrages was being recorded. The riverine area of the province had been inundated, forcing people to leave their villages.

He said that about 1.5m houses worth Rs450bn were damaged; 11,734 cattle worth Rs903.96m perished and standing crops valued at Rs335.44bn on 3,171,726 acres were destroyed.

Mr Memon said that 100pc cotton crop worth Rs20bn grown on 1,467,579 acres was destroyed. Similarly, he said, date palm crop worth Rs7,096.53m on 101379 acres had been affected. He added that 21.78pc of sugar cane crop with an estimate value of Rs11,918m on 158916 acres was lost and 71.46pc of rice crop with an estimated cost of Rs52,100m grown on 1063273 acres was destroyed.

The minister said that besides these crops, tomatoes, chilies, onions and other veggies worth multimillion rupees were damaged.

Infrastructure, including roads, bridges and drainage system in Karachi division was damaged and the loss was assessed at over Rs50bn.

He added that 570 roads of 2,281.5km length were damaged causing a loss of Rs22.8bn while in Hyderabad division, 101 roads of 843.5kms length and 20 bridges had been affected. Similarly, in Sukkur division, 256 roads of 1,002kms length and 18 bridges were destroyed; 125 roads of 136.8km length in Shaheed Benazirabad division were damaged. He said that 12 roads of 96kms and six bridges in Larkana division and 23 roads of 146.22kms length were damaged in Mirpurkhas division.

Giving details of relief work, the minister said rescue and relief activities were in full swing in Sindh under monitoring of the chief minister. Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force were fully helping the civil administration in relief operations, he added.

Sharjeel Memon said that Sindh government had so far provided 95,770 tents, 163,295 mosquito nets, 45,960 plastic tarpaulins, 3,820 folding beds and other equipment to the affected people, while 52,000 ration bags had been distributed among the affected people.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2022