THE local authorities must be made to answer for abandoning the residents of Faiz Mohammad Daryani Chandio village in Sindh’s Dadu district as hell descended on them on Monday night. According to news reports, a fire erupted in the kitchen of a thatched house around 9 pm. Due to the dry weather and strong winds, the fire soon engulfed the entire village comprising around 70 thatched houses. It raged for about 12 hours during which time the residents repeatedly called the local administration for help. However, not only did the officials not respond, they also reportedly refused to send fire tenders as no government official had reached the affected area. It was only when the Sindh chief minister took notice and instructed the deputy commissioner to provide “all possible assistance and support” that a lone fire tender reached the village the next day. By then, nine children had perished and four others had received critical burn injuries. The fire also caused heavy financial damage to the villagers, most of whom are subsistence farmers. Besides all their personal belongings, most of their cattle and food stock was also reduced to ashes, rendering them without any means of sustenance. A similar fire was reported from Jalib Rind village where 50 houses and cattle were destroyed when the paddy grass caught fire.

It is clear that had the district or tehsil-level administration bothered to respond to the residents’ desperate calls sooner, the damage could have been limited. The callous and lackadaisical attitude of the local officials, who by their inaction wilfully endangered human lives, demonstrates a deep-rooted official apathy and ineptitude. Though the prime minister and the Sindh chief minister have promised assistance to the affected families, they should also ensure strict punishment for those officials who ignored the citizens’ cry for help. Moreover, as more reports surface of similar incidents in other areas of Dadu district, the authorities should at once ensure adequate fire-extinguishing arrangements at the district and tehsil levels.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2022