KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Monday began discussion on the devastation caused by unprecedented monsoon rains and floods and the relief activities in the province with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah opening the debate.

Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmaker Firdous Shamim Naqvi were the two others who discussed the flood situation.

Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani had on Friday fixed three days — from Monday to Wednesday — for discussion on an out-of-turn adjournment motion to discuss havoc wreaked by the floods.

The adjournment motion was tabled by Pakistan Peoples Party’s Nida Khuhro, while Ali Khurshidi of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan also read out the same adjournment motion.

Murad opens debate; PTI’s Firdous Naqvi questions govt’s relief measures

Opening the debate, CM Shah said that such floods had never been witnessed in the history as not only the province, but the entire country suffered badly from it. “Both the government and the opposition are witnesses to it,” he added.

He said that there were floods in the past as well, but the recent flood was so dangerous that it had seriously damaged roads sector, embankments and railways.

He said that the provincial government was prepared to cope with the situation ahead of monsoon season, but the rains fell way more than expected.

He said that 800 people were killed and 8,422 others injured in the devastating floods. He said that around 2,044,844 houses were damaged, of them 69 per cent fully and 31pc partially, adding that 80 per cent mud houses were damaged.

Mr Shah said that 436,435 cattle were killed and crops on 3,777,272 acres were completely destroyed. Besides, he said that 8,463km of 860 roads and 165 bridges were damaged, adding that road sector losses estimated at Rs111 billion.

He said that 7,503 schools were completely damaged and 12,305 others partially and added that 942 healthcare facilities were fully damaged and 103 partially in the floods.

The chief minister said that there were 5,412 breaches and cuts in the waterways which required Rs95bn for restoration.

He said that on Aug 31, an area of about 1,988,919 acres was under inundation along the right bank of the Indus and estimated volume of water was approximately 14MAF.

Mr Shah said that based on the experience from flood in 2010, remaining area would further take at least a month for flushing out the rainwater.

He said that initially it was predicted that there would be 60mm of rain in Sindh and the provincial government thought that there would be 20pc more rain affecting some 62,000 families. “But there were 900pc more rains in the province,” he added.

The CM recalled that there were floods in 2010 to 2011 as well. “There was a flood in 2020, but the current flood was so dangerous that it seriously damaged roads, embankments and railways,” he said.

He said that the provincial government sent tents to three affected districts in three days.

‘Where’s flood protection plan?’

PTI lawmaker Firdous Shamim Naqvi said that Holland was below the sea level, but there was no such situation because the people there had taken measures to save their country.

He said that after the flood of 2010, a flood protection plan was made and it was approved in 2017. “Where is that plan, where is its report?” he asked.

The PTI MPA also asked as to what happened to the Rs332bn set aside for relief and rehabilitation by the provincial government.

He asked the chief minister how many house had been built in the province by the PPP.

“Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s slogan was roti, kapra and makan [bread, clothes and shelter]. According to this slogan, everyone should have a house in Sindh by now,” he said, asking the provincial government as to why there had been mud houses until now in the province.

Earlier, parliamentary party leader of the PTI Khurram Sher Zaman said that the issue of flood devastation was so important that two more days should be extended for the discussion on this topic.

He referred to the CM’s claims of relief and rehabilitation and said that it seemed that rivers of milk and honey were flowing in the province.

Later, the Sindh Assembly session was adjourned to Tuesday (today).

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2022