SANGHAR: Hundreds of rain victims are forced to live in subhuman conditions along roadsides, especially of main Sanghar-Khipro road, where they had hurriedly set up makeshift shelters to lodge their families after their homes were submerged in rainwater.

Most of the improvised tents were beside inundated fields of sugar cane, which had now become large breeding grounds for mosquitoes, exposing them and their cattle to merciless attacks of the insect as soon as the sun set.

The rain victims faced acute shortage of drinking water, food and mosquito nets and were highly prone to multiple diseases. The authorities concerned should set up tent cities and shift them there to save them from ailments, said the affected persons.

Sanghar and Khipro were the worst affected areas by torrential rains that inundated and damaged houses, dislocated people, destroyed standing crops and hit livestock.

The Sindh government had declared Sanghar and Khipro talukas calamity-hit and the chief minister had visited Khipro, still relief work was yet to be started in many places.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2020