Protective embankments are under pressure at several locations and pose threats to certain cities and towns – Chief Minister
Sindh Courier
Karachi
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Friday that various protective embankments are under pressure at different locations that pose a threat to certain big villages and towns, however it has been left to the experts of the Irrigation Department to decide where to make cuts in the banks to save the villages and towns.
Claiming in a press conference at the Chief Minister’s House in Karachi that he struggled for protecting the villages and towns, Murad Shah said, “In a bid to save other villages and towns, it is my own ancestral village that has inundated.”
Sharing the details of destruction caused by flash floods across the province, Chief Minister said that more than three million houses have been destroyed by torrential rains. “Almost all the katcha houses (made of mud-bricks) have collapsed and the remaining are unable to live in.”
According to him, these calculations were based on the 2-year old data of katcha houses in the province. “Not a single katcha house could sustain the torrential rains.”
Shah said some 470 persons lost their lives and 8314 injured during six powerful spells of monsoon rains. “On an average a total of 700mm to 1100mm and at certain places more rainfall had been recorded in different regions of Sindh during the months of July and August, which was unprecedented.”
According to the Chief Minister the Met office on May 10 had issued warning of rains more than normal, while it turned 700 percent more than the normal. “For that we were not prepared nor did we have resources.”
Sharing the details of relief work, Murad Shah said the National Disaster Management Authority provided only 8000 tents while the Sindh government distributed 110000 tents and 20000 tarpals from its own stocks. “We still need 300000 tents for which order has been placed,” he said adding that 300000 mosquito nets too are required and the government would be able to meet this target.
Murad Shah told the media men that Sindh government had 86000 tents in its stock of which 26000 were distributed initially during some first spells of rain and had no idea that the last spell in mid-August would play havoc. “We then started distributing remaining 60000 tents.”
“We have ordered 300000 tents but the manufacturers are unable to supply more than 6000 tents per day.”
Meanwhile, in an official report, Sindh government said that 90 percent of the rural areas of still under the rainwater. As regards Khairpur Nathan Shah town, the report said 85 percent of the town is inundated. It added that through some cuts, the flood water has been diverted to Warah town.
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