HYDERABAD, Dec 16: The district relief committee recommended at a meeting on Tuesday that the National Disaster Management Authority release Rs100 million and the provincial relief department Rs10 million to rehabilitate the four villages in Qasimabad taluka, which were flooded by a breach in a water reservoir on Dec 10.

MPA Pir Amjad Hussain Shah Jilani, who heads the committee, said that the Hyderabad district government, despite its own financial difficulties, provided Rs500,000 for the victims. Other expenditures were being met from the little savings of other district offices and donations from MNA Syed Amir Ali Shah Jamote, he said.

He said that the district government had earmarked Rs5 million in its annual budget for relief works out of which it had already spent Rs2.6 million on sending relief goods to the affectees of earthquake in Balochistan.

He said that the recommended amount would be in addition to the relief fund to be provided by the provincial government for the rehabilitation of the affected families and development of the areas.

He said that four teams had been formed to conduct survey of losses and according to preliminarily report 350 to 400 houses were damaged, causing displacement of 251 families. Eight animals were also reported dead, he added.

Mr Shah said that at present 39 water pumping machines, including 17 machines of Wasa, 10 of Pak Army and 12 machines of different TMAs were still draining out floodwater. Cooked food for the affectees and fodder for their animals was being supplied continuously, he said.

He asked the officers concerned to prepare a rehabilitation plan for the villages with a view to develop the area on the scale of developed towns.

He said that the chief minister had great sympathy with the affected people and he had assured of cooperation in their rehabilitation and action against people who were responsible for the disaster.

Hyderabad DCO Ali Ahmed Loond informed the meeting that relief work by the district administration was going on. In addition to providing cooked food, 300 ration packets costing Rs711 each had been distributed among them, he said.

Iqbal Soomro, local PPP leader, Q. Hakim, union council nazim, EDO of revenue, DO of revenue, EDO of finance and planning and other officers attended the meeting.

VISIT: Suleman Chandio, special secretary to the Sindh government for the local government department, who is also member of the inquiry committee tasked with probing the breach in HDA’s water reservoir, visited the site of the breach, affected villages and recorded statements of villagers and official concerned on Tuesday.

Mr Chandio, who was accompanied by HDA officers went to the places hit by devastation and interviewed low-ranking employees like watchmen, sub-engineers etc.

He gleaned statistical data on the damage caused to public and private properties and remained at the site and with local people for about four hours.

He said that the investigation would find out real causes behind the breach and urged people who had any important piece of information about the incident to contact him through DCO Hyderabad.