HYDERABAD, Sept 17: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Sunday underlined the need for medium-term measures to avoid a recurrence of Hyderabad-like tragedy. He asked district and provincial governments to start a fumigation campaign in areas where rainwater had receded.

He said that a Hyderabad development package was ready and planning in this regard was under way.

Speaking at a gathering at the airport, the prime minister said that calamities could not be predicted. During his aerial visit, he said he had noticed that roads had been cleared of water.

Elected representatives, federal and provincial ministers, advisers, district nazims of Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Thatta and Tando Mohammad Khan were present on the occasion.

He said that provincial and federal governments and army were helping the district government in draining out rainwater.

He said that repair of roads, electricity and telephone networks and bridges should be launched on a war footing.

“Broken roads cause difficulties to people”, he said.

Referring to compensation to affected people, he said that there was a procedure defined in government rules under which Rs100,000 would be paid on death of bread earner and Rs50,000 for non-bread earners.

He said that delay in assessment of losses should be avoided because in Azad Kashmir where 70,000 people had died and millions of people became homeless, survey was completed in four weeks only.

He said that property damages would be compensated as per policy.

He said that packages had earlier been announced but even then government had launched a drinking water supply project under the Khushhal Pakistan Programme under which filter plants would be set up in each district and taluka planning for which had been made.

About disposal of untreated water or sewerage in the Indus river, the prime minister said “untreated water should not be released in the river because it is used by population living downstream”.

He emphasised planning to ensure treatment of sewerage water before it was released into the river.

He said that people of the city had faced crisis of supply of contaminated water in the past.

“Hyderabad is an important city and there should not be any rural or urban bias”, said the prime minister.

“We will eliminate poverty and create employment opportunities as the government was giving a top priority to the sectors”, he said.

The prime minister asked the district nazim to ensure emergency repair works and provincial government would release funds.

He underlined the importance of fumigation campaign in the areas including Hyderabad where water had been drained out.

He said that water-borne diseases were breaking out and next two weeks were critical for people.

Calling for improving water supply in the city and spray in rain-hit areas, he said that he had sent rations in districts and more would be sent to Hyderabad as per its requisition because it was duty of the government.

He said that army engineers would be sent as they had worked outstandingly in quake-affected areas and Nowshera during rains.

He said that courageous nations respond to such testing period boldly.

“I am aware that you are passing through a difficult phase in your life now for which proper future planning is required either it is rural or urban areas”, he said.

The prime minister welcomed NGOs and other organisations intending to supplement government’s efforts.

“The district nazim told me that he has learnt a lot during this critical moment”, he said.

Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim called for planning to cope with rain emergencies in future and efficient use of relief funds.

“There is no planning of Hyderabad Development Authority and Water and Sanitation Agency as they even did not instal pumping machines on elevated surfaces”, he said while expressing disappointment over performance of the two civic bodies and said it would certainly be probed.

The chief minister called for a permanent solution of the city’s drainage issue.

“The option of a drain towards the river or Tando Mohammad Khan on its gravitational flow in Hyderabad can be examined where it can be pumped through diesel generators and not through electricity to avoid power breakdown”, he said.

He said that people were rightly agitating because water could not be drained out despite a lapse of eight to ten days.

He said a survey of crops destroyed in rain was under way. He said that he had no objection if survey is re-conducted in any area.

He said that that he had the aerial view of rural taluka of Hyderabad and approved a survey in the area.

When rural taluka nazim Khawind Bux Jahejo rose to say that his taluka had been completely destroyed and crops were washed away, the chief minister told him: “Yes, I have heard your speech on a TV channel. Don’t score points”.

When he insisted to complete his speech, the chief minister asked him please sit down”.

District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jameel spoke about damages to people’s property, losses of livestock and crops and said that district government was helping people under available resources.

Infrastructure of health, civic, roads, and water supply has completely been destroyed here and there are people who need government’s helping hand”, he said.