SANGHAR: More than a month after heavy rains devastated Sanghar district, the administration is still unable to properly organise relief and rehabilitation work, with rainwater stagnating in the town and adjoining areas and people waiting for help.

The Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Sida) and irrigation department have at last started taking some measures to drain out water.

Sanghar, a bastion of Hur movement for independence from British colonial rulers, is suffering because the rains have destroyed its farmland known for producing cotton and other valuable crops.

The town and its talukas remain cut off from different areas, dealing a serious blow to economy.

Urban population has mostly moved to other places but people in rural areas are forced to live in the open, on the banks of drains and canals or in improvised huts along roads.

The district has suffered the second highest number of deaths in rain-related incidents after Mirpurkhas, according to figures released by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.

The fine quality cotton crop the district is famous for has been washed away or are flooded. All saline water drains are flowing to their capacity. The drains pose a serious threat to the city in the event of breaches.

Sanghar Taluka Municipal Officer Malook Khaskheli said a decision had been taken to pump out rainwater towards the outskirts. “Cuts have been made in the main M.A. Jinnah road to drain out stagnant rainwater with a six-inch pump to the outer limits of the city,” he said.

The posh localities and other areas are still under three to four feet of water and residents have moved to other places. All schools and colleges have turned into relief camps for displaced people.

“The decision to drain out rainwater towards Khoso Mohallah on the outskirts of the city will not work. They are draining out water from downstream to upstream. It simply can’t work,” said Hassan Nizamani, brother of former MNA Khuda BuxNizamani.

Sanghar, a stronghold of PML-F of Pir Pagaro, has a strong representation in federal and provincial governments with one federal and three provincial advisers. They are; Khuda Bux Rajar, Jam Madad Ali, Shazia Marri and Imamuddin Shauqeen. But the town is yet to see the beginning of a proper relief operation.

A meeting was recently held in Nawabsha between representatives of coalition parties to take decisions about a relief and rescue operation. “Our ally shares 40 per cent responsibility in the district in all respects as per their parliamentary strength.

I won’t comment on the administrative response but I hope things will improve gradually. The government is also helping people,” said PML-F’s MPA Abdul Sattar.

Mr Sattar is facing charges of murdering a teenage rain victim, Ghulam Hussain in Jhol. The boy was in a crowd of rain-affected people who tried to take away relief goods stored in the MPA’s cotton factory when the MPA’s gunman fired at them. The MPA and guards have been booked in the case.

The main road linking the town with Hyderabad remains submerged, forcing commuters to make a risky detour through a mud road. The Sanghar-Nawabshah, Sanghar-Khairpur, Shahdadpur, Tando Adam, Khipro and Shahpur Chakar roads are in the same condition.

Encroachments in drains blamed for crisis

Townspeople blame encroachments in and across old passages of natural rainwater drains for the blockage of water’s flow to Badin. “The rainwater can’t be drained out by cutting the M.A. Jinnah road. It is a cosmetic exercise to pacify angry residents, it is not going to do any good,” said Malik Sher, vice-president of Sanghar Chamber of Commerce.

The local economy, he said, had been badly hit. There is a serious price spiral. Price of tomato has shot up to Rs100 per kg from Rs15. Business and civic life had been completely crippled.

The civil hospital has been moved to a private building. It is providing only primary healthcare.

Cases of skin, respiratory diseases and gastroenteritis are on the rise. Mobile units of maternity and childcare are visiting relief camps.

Cotton ginners had expected to receive around 2.2 million bales from Sanghar because of an increase in cotton acreage after an impressive return on cotton produced last year.

There are 106 ginning factories in the town and 15 more are in the pipeline. “We had collected around 15,000 to 16,000 maunds before it rained. But 80 per cent of it has been destroyed and the remainder is going through ginning process,” saidginner Mero Mal.

Drainage plan

Sida Managing Director Mohammad Ehsan Leghari has said a plan has been prepared to drain out water from Sanghar by installing 10 pumping machines, each of five cusec discharge capacity. “We hope we will be able to clear the city in 20 days through the Nara Valley drain,” he said.