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HYDERABAD: Unprecedented intermittent heavy rains lashing Sindh since Aug 10 continued to play havoc in southern region of the province on Monday with heavy downpour in Hyderabad. Rainwater flooded houses in parts of Latifabad and Qasimabad continued till filing of this report at 11pm, making the picture ominous.
Residents of these areas told Dawn by phone that the situation was worsening with each passing moment as rains continued unabated. People started saying Azans from their homes and mosques to seek mercy of Allah Almighty to stop incessant rains.
In Badin district after heavy pressure developed into LBOD on Monday, the saline water further weakened the surface of sub-drains which had already devastated a vast area and brought many villages in its lap and threatened the population with further devastation.
A 5-R drain that falls into LBOD developed a breach on Monday near Khuda Bux Chandio village, inundating four more villages of Badin taluka. As many as 350,000 people of different union councils of Badin and Tando Bago talukas are facing the imminent danger of breaches as water level has continued to rise in LBOD, spreading fear among the people of the area. The people have been asked by the administration to move to safe places, but they have not been provided conveyance.
Khoski is one such habitation.
Out of a population of more 10,000, only 25 per cent families had left their homes, said Haji Muhammad Ghuman, a resident of the town.
Mr Ghuman said more than 250,000 marooned people in some 15 villages were still looking for rescue, but the administration was doing nothing for them.
Meanwhile, Monday’s rain raised the water level in Amir Shah Sim Nala and Karo Goonghro, multiplying the misery of flood victims of Tarai, Kario Ghanwar and other areas of Shaheed Fazal Rahu taluka.
After a breathe of almost 10 hours, the sky suddenly went dark at 7pm and rain lashed the region once again.
The Sindh Minister for Information, Sharjeel Memon, visited Tarai union council along with a media team. He told journalists that federal and provincial governments had allocated Rs7 billion for rain victims till the rehabilitation work is completed while the process of issuance of Watan Card would be completed within 10 days and Rs20,000 will be provided through Watan Cards to the needy.
Meanwhile, the Corps Commander of Karachi, Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam, inspected the rescue operation being carried out by the Pakistan Army in Badin district. He went to Saman Sarkar through a motorboat and visited Pangrio, Khalifo Qasim and Khoski camps.
In Mirpurkhas district, intermittent rains in Jhuddo and Digri talukas raised the water level in Puran Nullah to one foot near Jhuddo town while land link of Jhuddo with Mirpurkhas stood disrupted for the last five days.
No relief goods could be distributed among affected people in Jhuddo.
Some 85 per cent of the people living in Jhuddo have moved to safe places, mostly on foot. Soldiers have been pressed in to rescue stranded villagers with the help of boats.
Except for four policemen of Jhuddo police station, all other staff has migrated to safe places. The area has been without power for the last six days.
Relief camps of Jhuddo had been vacated as most of the affected people have migrated to other areas due to non-availability of doctors, staff, relief ration and other facilities in camps.
The incessant rain has compounded the misery of flood-hit people in Mirpurkhas as torrents swamped more places.The administration has declared emergency in the city due to the growing pressure of water outside the city and overflowing of LBOD in the Khaan area.
The district administration has called out the army for relief work and personnel of law-enforcement agencies are helping other departments to save the city by strengthening dykes and banks of the drain of LBOD in Khaan area.
Around five feet of water was standing in low-lying areas and the Mirpurkhas administration has failed to drain it out. Most of the affected people have moved to safe places on self-help basis. There was no planning to drain out stagnant rainwater from the city.
Hundreds of PTCL telephones went dead after water entered underground cables. Knee-deep water was stagnant in civil hospital, creating serious problems for the people coming to the emergency ward.
Most of the pumping machines were busy draining out water from bungalows of VIPs and only a few machines deployed to drain out the stagnant water proved inadequate.
In Shaheed Benazirabad district at least four people were killed whereas several others were injured in rain-related incidents. Sajida Khaskheli, 10, died after she fell in rainwater in Jam Saheb whereas three others, Gul Bano 7, Taj Mohammad, 45, and Shazia, 15, died because of high fever in Golimar and Allah Wasayo Jamali village.
The rain multiplied problems of rain-hit people as well as the business community as the level of water already accumulated on roads and bazaars rose to an alarming level. Business activities which were suspended in last week of August were still suspended, causing huge losses to traders.
An official of Met office said that the city received 37 millimetres of rain in two hours whereas there was forecast of more rains in next two days.
In Umerkot district, four people died in different camps due to rise in gastroenteritis cases while more than 180 people were hospitalised during one week.
After recent rains and displacement of more than 400,000 people in the district, 200,000 are still living in self-established camps. In these camps due to consumption of contaminated water scores of people have suffered gastroenteritis and other diseases.
Two children, two-year-old Bhesham Lal and one-year-old Asghar Khoso, died of gastroenteritis at Nohto rain-affected camp, Jethanan Bajeer, 30, of Umerkot died due to cholera. A boy, Sajid Palli, died of gastroenteritis at Raja Rasti.
