MIRPURKHAS: 3,000 evacuated from flooded villages: Breaches in LBOD
By Qamaruddin
MIRPURKHAS, Aug 21: About 3,000 villagers have so far been evacuated to safe places and water gushing from breaches in the Left Bank Outfall Drain in Hussain Bux Mari taluka is threatening several other villages.
Irrigation and Sida authorities are still unable to plug the breaches.
The LBOD developed breaches at many points when farmers made cuts into it to drain out stagnant rainwater from their fields.
The breaches submerged Bhooro Mari, Ali Mohammad Mahar, Sarwar Mari, Meero Mari and Dawood Wassan villages in three to four feet water forcing their inhabitants to leave for nearby safer places.
The water continues to gush towards Urs Baloch, Lalo Thebo, Pir Aftab Shah, Shaukat Khan Mari, Makhan Khaskheli, Jumo Khaskheli, Darelo, Naseem Khaskheli and Mumtazabad- 2 villages.
Several machines which were brought to plug the breaches had themselves got stuck up in the mud and water.
District Nazim Dr Sughra Junejo, DCO Mumtaz Shah and Hussain Bux Mari Taluka Nazim Mumtaz Mari paid visits to flooded areas and met with affected people.
The taluka nazim complained to Dawn that irrigation authorities had not made any serious effort to plug the breaches.
He feared that around 8,000 to 10,000 people would be affected if water entered more villages.
The people who fled the flood were sitting under open sky along Tando Adam road and in nearby school buildings, he said.
District Nazim Dr Sughra Junejo directed officers in a hurriedly-called emergency meeting to take measures to help and rehabilitate rain-affected people, evacuate them to safer places and ensure they got proper medication and food.
EDO (health) Dr Hadi Bux Leghari said that three medical teams were working in the affected taluka to provide treatment to patients.
Hussain Bux Mari Taluka Nazim Mumtaz Mari and Mirpurkhas Taluka Nazim Dastagir Siddiqui apprised the meeting about losses from the breaches and rains.
They demanded that relief work should be launched on a war footing.
