DADU: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated that Pakistan alone cannot deal with the disaster caused by floods and torrential rainfall and urged the global community to help the affected people in this hour of difficulty.

He said this while speaking to the media during his visit to a tent city at Jakhro village in Khairpur Nathan Shah taluka of Dadu district on Tuesday.

Accompanied by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and National Disaster Man­agement Authority Chairman Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz, the premier visited the tents and met with women and children.

He assured complete medical facilities and promised the students to reconstruct damaged schools.

PM says he and Bilawal told the world about miseries of affected people; promises to reconstruct schools

Mr Sharif said that during the foreign visits, he and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari have apprised the world of the destruction caused by the floods and the problems faced by the affected population.

While estimating the losses as a result of floods, the prime minister said, currently the damages stand at Rs30bn.

He said that floods have caused major destruction in the country but Sindh was the worst-hit province. Besides, Rs42 billion have already been paid to the families affected by flood, he said, adding that more teams will be sent to pay Rs25,000 per family compensation under the Benazir Income Support Programme.

He said that under the Sindh chief minister, a team of the provincial government and elected representatives were actively working to rehabilitate displaced people.

During the visit, the prime minister was briefed by Chief Minister Shah about the relief and rehabilitation efforts in the province.

Mr Shah said the rehabilitation process was started in the province and the government was also providing aid, rations, food and medicines and tents.

Briefing the prime minister at a tent city in Jakhro, Dadu Deputy Commissioner Syed Murtaza Ali Shah said more than 0.8 million people were affected in the district.

He said the district also received unprecedented rainfall, with 1,400mm in just two days on Aug 23 and 24. He said floodwater is flowing into the Manchhar Lake but it will still take eight to 10 days to completely drain the water.

Teams of Pakistan Army, Navy, Sindh government and district administrations were providing food and other relief food items in 19 tent cities that have been established in Dadu district, said DC Shah.

Provincial minister Nasir Hussain Shah informed the prime minister that the towns of Johi, Mehar and Dadu were protected by constructing ring embankments.

Khairpur Nathan Shah was completely flooded but dewatering has started to clear the area, he said, adding that there was still a need to strengthen the Flood Protec­tive Bund and Main Nara Valley Drain.

The prime minister, while assuring help in this regard, asked the provincial government to send their proposals.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2022