NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, Aug 24: Thirty-one kutcha villages of Moro, Mithani and Kandiaro talukas in Naushahro Feroze district had been flooded with rainwater and 659 people had taken shelter in nine schools till Saturday.

The areas include Ghulam Mustafa Korai village, comprising around 40 houses, Dital Khan Korai village comprising 150 houses, Haji Muhammad Korai, Haji Ghulam Rasool Korai, Muhammad Yousaf Korai, Muhammad Moosa Korai, Malik Bachal Machi, Sikander Korai, Bino Korai, Yasin Korai and Bhanger Korai villages that are submerged by rainwater.

People could be observed to have taken shelter under trees and on raised embankments.

Talking to Dawn, the villagers complained about the absence of boats to shift them to safer locations, medical aid and veterinarians.

Deputy commissioner Syed Mehdi Ali Shah while talking to Dawn said that he was visiting embankments to review the situation and assistant commissioners of Moro, Kandiaro and Naushahro Feroze talukas were supervising relief measures and flood situation in their own areas.

He said that fumigation was being carried out in seven villages near Mithani Bund to control diseases, adding that he was also going to arrange for medical teams to visit the area on an urgent basis.

According to the deputy commissioner, around 200 tents were available and would be handed out to people if required. Moreover, he said, 500 bags containing 10 kilogrammes of flour, two kilogrammes sugar and other dry items would be distributed on Sunday.

Answering a question, he said that so far meals for the displaced people had not been arranged.

When he was asked about the availability of funds, he said that he hadn’t received them yet and Rs10 million were required immediately for relief activities.

Meanwhile, Kandiaro talukas assistant commissioner Yasir Bhatti said that he had arranged shelters in mosques and had arranged for vehicles and boats so that residents of kutcha areas to leave but they had refused to pay heed to his advise. He said that people living on an island near Bakhri Bund had been made well aware of the situation before hand.