DADU/THATTA: Hundreds of villages in all districts of the interior Sindh remained under rain and flood water on Friday as deluges from upper Sindh continued to ravage central and lower parts of the province and water level in Indus also increased.

The lands and villages along the Indus submerged due to the river overtopping its embankments at many places while the areas falling away from the Indus embankments were inundated owing to overflowing canals and other irrigation channels. Diversion of natural waterways amid heavy rains over the last two weeks also contributed to heavy flooding.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been rendered homeless and a large number of them have been migrating to dry high lands or cities close to their destroyed villages.

Hill torrents and deluges from mountainous Khirthar region and heavy rains in all talukas of Dadu and Jamshoro districts flooded 150 more villages of Faridabad and Charo areas of Mehar taluka and caused a 200-foot-wide breach in a canal at Maro Ja Thulh village. The land communication between Johi town and 400 villages of 15 union councils in Kachho belt has remained cut off since July 7.

Relief goods awaited

THATTA: A large number of rain-hit families, who have taken shelter on dunes and on the roadside along main Thatta-Sujawal road, are waiting for government aid for the past 12 days.

The downpour that has battered the province for over two months has proved the most devastating for Sujawal, Tando Mohammad Khan and Badin, which also face sea intrusion, compelling the population to rush to highlands.

Sources in the district administration said that around 30 villages had submerged in rainwater over the past couple of days in the riverine area of Thatta and Sujawal districts after surge in the Indus River.

A warning has been issued by the deputy commissioners of the two districts asking the inhabitants of villages located near the river’s bank to move to highlands as the water was fast heading to low-lying areas.

Many areas have turned into tent cities where hundreds of flood-affected families have been settled by Pakistan Army and district administration.

Meanwhile, cases of snakebite have been reported from different parts of Sujawal district. An elderly man died of snakebite in flood-hit Jati amid complaints of unavailability of anti-snake venom in hospitals.

Demos held for relief

MIRPURKHAS: Several hundred families displaced by rain and flooding in different towns of this district held demonstrations outside DC’s office on Friday against the administration’s failure to provide them relief goods, including shelter and food, for many days.

They deplored that they were staying under open sky on roads but no one came to them to help out.

A similar demonstration was held by rain-hit families near Leghari Pump along the main Mirwah Gorchani road. The protesters placed burning tyres and junk in the middle of the road to block vehicular traffic for some time.

In Sindhri taluka, a 20-foot-wide breach in LBOD caused flooding in more than a dozen villages on Friday.

Meanwhile, a 12-year-old boy, Azan, was killed and four of his family members were injured when the roof of a room in their house, weakened by recent downpour, collapsed near Kingoro Shakh locality of Digri taluka late Thursday night.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2022