MIRPURKHAS: Several villages in Mirpurkhas still submerged
By Qamaruddin
MIRPURKHAS, Sept 21: The district government has not been able to drain out flood water of the LBOD from several villages in Dehs 101, 106, 98 and 99 of the Hussain Bux Mari taluka.
About five feet water is still stagnating in villages and fields.
Farmers of the area have suffered losses of millions of rupees.
The administration did not give proper attention to relief work and draining out rain and saline water.
The villages which were still inundated are: Bachal Maher, Hidayatullah Ghumman, Jan Mohammed Maher, Sultan Maher, Ali Mohammad Maher, Darelo, Lal Bux Thebo, Urs Makrani, Aadho Maher and Khaskheli.
About 12,000 people are marooned in the villages and many others have shifted to safer places.
The inundation of the area was caused by overflowing of the outfall drain and breaches which had occurred in LBOD and MMD drains near Azeem Shah village.
Farmers Hidayatullah Ghumman, Ali Mohammed Maher and Usman Maher said that breaches had developed in LBOD and MMD drains one month back.
They said that the level of water was increasing in the area because the district administration did not plug breaches of the drain.
They said that except for an excavator machine which was provided by the DCO for strengthening the bank of drain from one side no other machinery had been arranged to drain out flood water.
They said that 100 ration bags were distributed among affected villagers which were insufficient.
They said that UC Truk Ali Mari nazim Wazir Ali Mari, and Hussain Bux Mari taluka nazim Mumtaz Ali Mari visited only their area and did not take interest in relief work in the area.
They accused that elected representatives distributed ration bags and other aid among their favourites. They said that over 800 katcha houses had collapsed during rainfall.
They demanded that a high-level inquiry should be held into distribution of ration bags and other relief among favourites.
They demanded that the Sindh chief minister and the governor should order sufficient quantity of ration bags, drinking water, medicines, heavy machinery and pumping machines to drain out stagnant rain and saline water.
They said that they would launch a protest campaign against the district administration if rainwater was not drained out from their villages.
SECRETARY: The secretary of works and services department has suspended Jameel Qureshi, the chief executive engineer of the Mirpurkhas education works department.
He was suspended on complains of irregularities and corruption in development schemes.
The secretary has ordered an inquiry against him.
District council member Nawab Younus Talpur and others had raised matter in the council’s meeting.
It was alleged that tenders of development schemes of Rs50 million under works and services department had been issued without approval of the council and funds of Rs4 million of electrification work of education department were misappropriated by officers of the education works department.
