July 06, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 20, 1428

LARKANA, July 5: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim said on Thursday the swelling sim nullahs no longer posed any threat to the Qambar and Shahdadkot towns, as the floodwaters coming from Balochistan were still 12km away from them.

Mr Rahim told journalists at the Moenjodaro airport before heading for Qambar and Shahdadkot towns that traditionally the floodwaters, which came down from Balochistan into Sindh, diverted into the Hamal Lake and finally discharged into the Indus.

The federal government needed to respond to the disaster from heavy rains and ensuing floods in much the same way as it had dealt with the Oct 8 quake, he said.

He said he had advised the federal government to undertake rehabilitation work on the pattern of Oct 8 quake and prepare a comprehensive plan to face floodwaters in future.

After the survey was over the provincial government would approach the federal government, he said, adding that relief and rescue operations would continue and food and relief goods were being supplied to the affected people through boats, roads and helicopters.

He said that floodwaters were spreading over 70 by 25km area with a height of three to four feet and assured the displaced families that the government was making efforts to rehabilitate them without any discrimination. Earlier, Mr Rahim who is also president of Pakistan Muslim League (Q) Sindh received the PML President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Secretary General Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed and Mian Manzoor Hussain Wattoo at the airport. He, later, paid a surprise visit to Larkana and directed the officials concerned to make the Larkana Development Authority (LDA) functional and accelerate the pace of development in the city.