August 04, 2007	Saturday	Rajab 19, 1428

DADU, Aug 3: Floodwater continued to mount pressure along the western part of the main Nara valley (MNV) drain, inundating 70 more villages in Johi taluka of the Dadu district on Friday.

Hundreds of villagers are stranded in their houses, facing a shortage of water and food.

No one from the government and the NGOs has reached affected villages for help.

Three breaches in the MNV drain have not been plugged yet and water is damaging more parts of the embankment.

A huge area of land from Chhinni road to Sori Khan Rodhnani village has been sub-merged. Officials failed to plug breaches on the western side of the MNV drain due to water pressure on the embankment.

People in the flood-hit areas have no boats to move out safely and they are drinking contaminated water.

Chhappar Jamali, Salah Shah, Abdul Latif Solangi, Haji Bhalaro, Ali Sheer Solangi, Allah Rakhio Jamali, Saboo Solangi, Fareed Rodhnani, Noor Mohammad Rodhnani, Jumo, Morio, Khudoo Machhi, Allah Yar Jamali, Sori Khan Rodhnani area between the MNV and the FP bund in Johi taluka are worst affected owing to breaches in the MNV drain.

Few flood-affected families managed to come out from their homes but their food, grain and cattle-heads were washed away.

They sheltered their families along the FP bund near the Chhini-Johi bridge, but they have no relief and medicines.

PML-N Sindh (women wing) president Sorath Thebo told Dawn that the government had not provided a single tent to flood victims to enable them to protect their children against heat or rain. “The flood-hit people are living under open sky,” she said and added that people were facing shortages of medicines and ORS.

Red Crescent coordinator Hakeem Leghari told Dawn in Kamal Khan Mori area that people were still stranded in Chhinni, Sawro and Kamal Khan union councils and the main drain water was damaging houses.