HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said on Monday that more than three million people have been displaced or affected due to torrential rains in Sindh adding that the farming community was worst affected among them.
He said that after providing shelter, food and health facilities to rain victims, reclamation of agricultural land by draining out stagnant water is the priority of the Sindh government.
The Chief Minister said this while addressing a news conference and meeting the workers of Pakistan People’s Party at Tando Muhammad Khan on Monday.
Accompanied by Sindh Minister for Irrigation Jam Saifullah Dharejo, Sindh Minister for Rehabilitation Muzaffar Shujra, he visited different parts of Tando Mohammad Khan to review the rain losses and meet the rain victims and notables.
He said remission of land tax and water charges has been given to the farming community of calamity hit areas and recovery of provincial loans has also been postponed.
Besides, he said that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani during his visit to the rain affected areas had already announced to provide Watan Card to the rain victims and wave off interest on the loans given by the federal government's institutions.
In addition to that, the Chief Minister said that his government was planning not only to reclaim the farm land by de-watering but also to provide soft loans to the farmers enabling them to cultivate their next crops and stand on their own feet.
He said that he visited different areas of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas Divisions where torrential rain has caused heavy devastation and added that situation of other divisions in Sindh was not different.
Chief Minister Shah said that though the survey of losses has been ordered and it is to be completed in due course of time but presently according to rough estimate more than three million people have been affected.
He said that this figure of affected people and losses to public and private structures may go beyond the present estimate.
He said that only in Tando Mohammad Khan at least 2,50,000 people and 50,000 families have been affected as such Tando Mohammad Khan has already been declared a calamity affected district.
He said that during last year’s flood, federal and Sindh governments had provided Rs 20 billion to seven million flood victims under matching grant formula and now both tiers of the government would provide Rs 20, 000 to each rain affected family in Sindh.
Referring to the presentation of District Coordination Officer (DCO) Tando Mohammad Khan, Syed Barkat Ahmed Rizvi, Chief Minister Shah announced Rs 20 million as additional grant for relief work in the district and said that Rs 30 million has already been provided to the district administration.
He also asked the PDMA to provide 10,000 tents and medicines to the district administration TMK and directed the authorities to bring the rain victims into relief camps that were sitting on the road side or provide them full assistance in all sense at the site where they are willing to reside.
He also asked the officers to put up PC-I for laying efficient drainage system in Tando Mohammad Khan City.
He informed that the government has declared current financial year as the year of development and hopefully after de-watering of the under water areas development schemes would be introduced and executed.
Referring to a question about over flow of drainage network, Chief Minister Shah said that the menace of encroachment over the drainage system was the main hurdle in the drainage flow.
However, he said that efforts would be made to remove encroachment and de-silt the drainage system to avoid any adverse affects on the farm land.
Earlier, DCO Tando Mohammad Khan Syed Barkat Rizvi briefed Chief Minister Shah about rain-related losses in the district and said that District Tando Mohammad Khan has received total rainfall up to 457 mm in different spell of monsoon.
He said that these torrential rains has displaced 2,50,000 people comprising on 50,000 families.
He said as many as 1,555 villages have been affected where 24,200 houses have been fully damaged and 26,600 houses partially damaged.
He informed that 70 relief camps have been established where 8,419 people have been encamped that are being provided relief goods and health facilities.
He said that there are thousands of people who are still shelterless and reluctant to be shifted in camps due to their cattle and other valuables items.
Sindh Chief Minister visited medical camp and relief camp of rain victims where he inquired about the health and other facilities being provided to the victims.
He also presented relief goods to the encamped rain victims and assured them that neither Sindh government nor PPP would leave them alone in this difficult time.
Later, the Chief Minister visited village Jinhan Soomro, condoled with MPA Abdul Karim Soomro on the demise of his father ex-MPA Abdul Khaliq Soomro.
Talking to media representatives on the occasion, he said that NADRA authorities had been directed to expedite the issuance of Watan Card to the rain victims by which each affected family would be provided Rs 20,000.
He said that the PPP would not leave the poor people alone in this difficult time and will compensate victims on account of their losses of lives and properties.
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.