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KARACHI, Aug 3: Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis, Abdul Sattar Laleka, visited the rain and flood affected areas of Thatta and handed over preventive medicines to the elected representatives of Thatta and Badin districts, a handout said here on Sunday.
Talking about the purpose of his visit, he said that he had come to console the people of rain-hit areas of Sindh and informed that the medicines were given to prevent people of these areas from malaria, cholera and other epidemic diseases.
He added that he had come to inquire about the real needs of the people from the representatives of Thatta and Badin districts - MNAs, Mohammad Ali Malkani and Ayaz Ali Shah Shirazi; MPAs Imtiaz Hussain Shah Shirazi and Sarfraz Hussain Shah Shirazi.
The members of the National and provincial assemblies informed the minister that there was an acute shortage of food in the affected areas.
Mr Laleka assured that he would do his level best to help the people affected by calamities, in collaboration with the organs of his ministry, like the Overseas Pakistanis’ Foundation (OPF) and the Workers Welfare Organisation (WWO), and informed that food for distribution would start arriving soon, in the affected areas.
The minister also donated Rs100,000 for the repair of Thatta Press Club.
RELIEF CAMPS: Sindh Minister for Communications and Works Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Sunday visited relief camps set up for rain-affected people from Badin and other areas i.e. Shadi Large, Tando Bago, Khoski, Khalifa Qasim, Nindo Olia Khan Shah and Pingrio.
The minister was also briefed about details of the relief activities in the areas.
He visited a village, Aziz Dero, where the inhabitants had shifted to Thar areas to seek protection against breach in the Shadi Large canal and assured them of government support.
He said that the government was fully aware of their difficulties and was making every effort to provide relief to them.
During his visit to various slum areas, the residents complained that they had received no relief so far and demanded relief package at the earliest.
The minister said that he would ask Badin district Nazim and the DCO to include all those in relief package who were left unattended.
The minister, in a news briefing at Tando Bagho, gave details of the losses caused by devasting rains in various areas of Thar.
He said that as a first step Rs5 million aid had been given to Thar and more effective and comprehensive steps would be taken for the rehabilitation of its people, once the losses were determined.
The minister, who is on visit to various rain-hit districts of Sindh, has earlier visited Diplo, Mithi, Naukot, Kaloi, Jhudo and other areas of Tharparkar district.
LIVESTOCK DISEASES: Sindh livestock and fisheries department officials have been directed by the director general of the department to take special measures against contagious animal and poultry diseases, which are likely to spread in the wake of recent rains and floods.
The director general said that recent floods and rains had caused a shortage of fodder and sweet water, and under such conditions there was always a danger of outbreak of any contagious disease in livestock and poultry.
To curb the diseases, the DG advised that animals and birds should be kept at some higher place and be provided with required quantity of dry fodder or feed besides water for drinking, if possible, from tube well or hand pump.
Dry fodder, he pointed out, should be saved from water and kept in a room or under proper sheds.
He further advised that the leaves of trees like Babar, Kandi, Bir etc should be kept in stock for feeding till the availability of proper fodder.
The livestock and poultry birds should be protected from rain and flood water and molasses or Gur may be fed to livestock to provide them energy, he said.
The district officers of livestock and poultry have been asked to establish veterinary aid camps, where veterinary officers and stock assistants should be deputed and provided with daily use medicines, and vaccines, so that they could treat ailing and wounded animals.
Vaccines against contagious diseases, specially Haemorrhagic Septicemia, Enterotoxaemia and Black Quarter, be provided to the staff posted at relief camp, he said.
He further said mobile teams might also be deputed to carry out treatment and vaccination work against the diseases.
He said that the camps should be properly publicized through newspapers, Radio and TV and also through union council Nazims, so that farmers could easily get their animals treated and vaccinated against the diseases.
The staff of the Directorate of Veterinary Research & Diagnosis, Tandojam, should be advised to coordinate with the field staff of the Animal Husbandry Department in connection with disease control measures, he concluded.
CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY: The Catholic Association, based in Karachi, distributed food ration and plastic covers among the inhabitants of various Christian localities affected by the recent rains and floods. The association also appealed to philanthropists for help.—PPI/APP
