HYDERABAD, Aug 7: The additional relief commissioner of Sindh on Tuesday appealed to the people living in coastal areas of the province to move to safe places and cautioned authorities in urban areas to be on high alert in view of a forecast of widespread rain on Aug 9-10 by the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

The official advised the municipal administrations to keep pumps ready and employ extra staff to drain out water in the event of heavy rains and urged the irrigation and power department to control canal heads in a proper manner to avoid breaches.

Scattered rains and dust-storm might lash the province during next 36 hours and sea conditions would be very rough along the coast, he said and asked the chairman of KPT, provincial secretary for local government, secretary of irrigation and power, secretary of livestock and fisheries and all the DCOs of the province to take precautionary measures to minimise losses to human life and property.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad District Coordination Officer Aftab Ahmed Khatri directed the management of Hyderabad Development Authority, deputy district officers of revenue department and taluk municipal officers of the district to be ready to meet any eventuality during the expected heavy rains and dust-storm in the district.

The district coordination officer said that the district government had already prepared a contingency plan to meet rain emergency and asked all the responsible officers to follow the assignments entrusted to them.

The district coordination officer said that the district nazim had warned that no official would be spared for negligence and asked the management of utility departments to keep close coordination with the district administration and ensure their services continued uninterrupted during rains.

DEMO: A number of students of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences staged a demonstration under the banner of Shagird Ittehad outside the press club on Tuesday in protest against alleged excesses of university administration.