SANGHAR: The waterlogging caused by Chotiariyoon dam is fast leading to a serious humanitarian issue as it has rendered infertile large tracts of fertile land within 25-kilometre radius of the reservoir, depriving local population of their only source of livelihood and forcing them to migrate to urban areas, warn speakers at a moot here on Monday.

They said at the gathering on disaster preparedness organised by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in collaboration with the Health And Nutrition Development Society (HANDS) at the office of deputy commissioner that the reservoir, located 30 kilometers from here, had made life unbearable for the population of both humans and livestock and led to a disaster-like situation.

They said that Sanghar was a disaster prone district which suffered a great deal during the disaster caused by torrential rain and flood in 2011, but it still lacked infrastructure and facilities to rescue population in case of an emergency.

They said the stretch of Achhro Thar desert that fell within the district, too, had always been prone to disasters and frequent droughts and faced acute lack of drinking water as well as health facilities which had made the disaster a permanent phenomenon in the stretch and made living conditions unbearable for both humans and livestock.

They said the district was still reeling from the great disaster of 2011 heavy rains and flood and the roads network, damaged by the flood, had still not been constructed causing severe hardships to local population.

The ruined infrastructure was in dire need of repair and reconstruction but in fact the entire district was still in the same state of unpreparedness as was witnessed during 2011 disaster, they said.

A HANDS representative informed the moot that his organisation had set up an emergency response centre in the district, which had 500 bags of ration, boats, pumping machines, blankets, ambulances, medicines and other necessary equipment for carrying out rescue operation in the event of a disaster.

Deputy Commissioner Umar Farooque Billo assured the participants that the district administration would seriously look into the issue of preparedness for disasters and remain ready to face any adverse situation.

He said the DDMA would also set up an emergency response centre and ask different government departments to put in their share in concerted efforts against disaster threat.

He admitted the reservoir had caused serious waterlogging which had led to disaster like situation in its catchment area. About a hundred tube-wells as well as pumping stations would be set up in the affected areas to lessen the impact of waterlogging, he added.

Published in Dawn October 25th, 2016