THATTA, Aug 6: The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) has set up eight emergency centres and kept 50 boats ready with ample supplies of life jackets, first aid boxes, search-lights, medicines, volunteers and mega-phones to help relief and rescue operation in the district’s coastal belt hit by rain and sea intrusion.

A spokesman for the PFF, Hajan Solangi, told reporters on Sunday that the forum had provided the facilities at Baghan, Keti Bunder, Sajan Wari, Aman Borio point, Zero Goongro, Ishaque Themore, Jati and Kori creek.

Many fishermen villages along the coastline in five talukas of the district are under knee deep water. The relief and rescue volunteers revealed that a majority of them was reluctant to move to safer places leaving behind their belongings and cattle.

Despite the fact that they faced starvation and the fear that epidemics might break out in the wake of rains and sea intrusion, they added.

The flooded villages, which face acute shortage of drinking water and food are 30 in number and located in Shah Bunder taluka. They include, Allah Dino Jatt, Hassan Jatt, Abdul Qadir Shah, Mole Dino Halo, Amoo Mendharo, Ali Shah, Majnoo Mendharo and many others.

Reports reaching here said that an infant in the Luqman Mendharo village, a three-year old boy, Mir Mallah, in the Saleh Mir Bahar village and a four-year old boy, Jumoo, in the Majnoo Mendharo village died because they could not get any medical help.

In Keti Bunder taluka, 920 affected people have taken shelter in six of the relief camps.

The district president of Aiwan-e-Zaraat, Syed Shahzad Shah Hussaini, said that rains and sea intrusion had done large scale damage to betel leaf and banana fields.

NAZIM: District Nazim Shafqat Hussain Shah Shirazi told Dawn that the district had set up a monitoring cell with phone No 0298-771363 at the office of the DCO.

He said that he had cancelled leaves of all district government employees to help run 11 relief camps. The district would soon ask the government to declare Jati and Shah Bunder talukas as calamity-hit areas, he said.

Thatta DCO Usman Panhwar said that the revenue staff had undertaken a survey of losses in Ghorabari, Jati, Shah Bunder, Kharochhan and Keti Bunder talukas and after the district had exact assessment, it would ask the provincial government for compensation.

Two MPAs of Pakistan People’s Party, Sassui Palijo and Humera Alwani, said that the flood-stricken population required special attention and ample funds to get them rehabilitated.

Meanwhile, nine fishermen onboard two missing boats, Al-Deedar and Al-Sattar, reached their village, Umer Morio, on Saturday night in shabby condition.