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THE seemingly never-ending spiral of child mortality in the Thar region is a chilling reminder that no lessons have been learned from the past.
The area is said to have faced 47 drought years over the past 115 years. Presently, the arid region has been grappling with the same issue for about four years. The dry spell was broken by rain in 2015, but that wasn’t enough to meet the needs of crops like millet and cluster beans. These are crucial because the former is a grain and the latter has commercial value. So, whether or not the technical definition of a drought applies here, an agricultural-cum-socio-economic drought prevails in the region.
The government’s response has been ad hoc. After the deaths of several newborns in March 2014, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah appointed DIG Police Hyderabad Sanaullah Abbasi to probe the matter. His report contained some startling revelations and was submitted before the Sindh High Court where it was rejected by Sindh’s then top law officer, Abdul Fatah Malik, who termed it a conspiracy against the government.
Then came the appointment of Taj Haider as coordinator for relief activities, whose focus was mainly the installation of reverse osmosis plants across Thar. But the targets of this have not yet been achieved. PPP MPA from Umerkot, Ali Mardan Shah, was briefly nominated as relief coordinator too. Now, amidst the deaths of more newborns in recent weeks, a five-member ministerial committee has been formed by the chief minister.
The government’s response to the crisis has been ad hoc.
Thar’s problems demand institutional mechanisms; a policy is required to deal with the drought. At present, we see no role being played by the relief commissioner, who is a senior member of the Board of Revenue.
The government’s strategy has been to dispute the deaths. In December 2014, the chief minister issued marching orders for a visiting team of professors, doctors and students in Thar to examine malnourished infants and mothers, and get health-indicator questionnaires filled. Such research would have helped the government plan. But perhaps the ruling PPP didn’t like it as the team had the blessing of Governor House.
The seventh phase of wheat distribution in Tharparkar was halted even though the relief-inspection judge called repeatedly for its continuance. The eighth phase of wheat distribution is still to be launched. Wheat is distributed by revenue authorities through provisions of calamity-related legislation once drought is declared. As the government did not do this, the eighth phase of distribution could not be launched.
Interestingly, a ministerial committee member has claimed that the distribution of free wheat will continue and the recovery of taxes from farmers will be suspended. Simultaneously, he insisted that there was no drought in Thar. If this is the case, why would taxes be waived and wheat distribution continue? Is the government in denial?
No one doubts the government’s intentions to improve conditions in Thar. It is focused on the Thar coal project for which investment-friendly infrastructure is being laid. It is improving the health infrastructure, too. But many health facilities, especially dispensaries, are non-functional for want of approved budgets.
Thanks to climate change, Thar is undergoing a paradigm shift. When once it does not receive the rain needed for crops, farmers do not cultivate the crop. This threatens the production of fodder and thus the survival of livestock — the Tharis’ main source of livelihood.
In the absence of millet, people are forced to sell their animals below the average market price, either to settle debts or for cash flow that eventually runs out. Consequently, migration to urban centres becomes the only option. The road network in the area has improved over recent years, which makes migration a little easier. Earlier, dehydration during migration would cause many deaths.
The government needs to come up with an institutionalised approach within a policy framework. To begin with, skill development training programmes can be provided so that individuals can get jobs in settled areas that allow them to support their families back home. Then, the government can engage international experts on droughts.
The Sindh drought management and mitigation policy 2014 has not yet seen the light of day. It envisages a Thar development authority designed on the pattern of a municipal body. But the bill was not tabled and is pending for redrafting.
It is time the government came up with the policy, coupled with the establishment of the authority. This would benefit the government. A similar desert lies across the border but such a crisis has not been reported from there, indicating better management. Don’t the Tharis deserve better too?
The writer is a senior reporter in Dawn.
Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2016
