MUZAFFARGARH, Jan 28: The 2010 super floods swept away nearly 103,000 houses and rendered 800,000 people displaced, according to a survey conducted by the revenue department. But, a large number of flood-hit people are facing accommodation problems as only 2,000 houses have been constructed so far and 12,000 more were under construction, Dawn has learned.

Around 2,000 houses are nearing completion and they would be ready for distribution by Jan 31 (Monday) and it is unlikely that the entire population will be provided shelter in near future.

Despite tall promises made by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif that he would not take rest until every homeless person was rehabilitated, a large number of displaced persons are braving the harsh winter in semi-demolished houses and, in some cases, in tents pegged to the ground in open fields.

The Punjab government, Pakistan rangers and some non-government organisation (NGOs) have provided 2,000 houses to the flood-hit people in Miran Mullan village.

The floods gave emergence to nearly 100 local and international NGOs that effectively took part in relief and rescue work. The donors and philanthropists behind these NGOs promised that every house razed to the ground by the floodwaters would be reconstructed.

However, almost half of these NGOs vanished one after the other and now less than 50 are in the field and taking part in the construction of around 12,000 houses in the affected areas.

However, the affected people bemoan that the whole focus of the provincial executive authorities was on rehabilitating the dwellers of Miran Mullan locality in Muzaffargarh tehsil and in accomplishment of this task, the authorities had ignored entire population of the Kot Addu tehsil.

“We are spending sleepless nights in such hostile weather,” Mujahid Husain, a displaced resident of Mahmoodkot, told Dawn. The breach in Muzaffargarh Canal caused massive flooding that had flattened Mujahid's luxurious house in a few hours, rendering him homeless overnight.

On the other hand, some 'lucky' people, who have been accommodated in colonies constructed by public or private organisations, complain that they are living in cramped conditions.

In Mahmoodkot, many families bemoan that an NGO got several houses consisting of two bed rooms built which were not spacious enough and they had to dump some of their belongings outside their new houses.

They said that though they enthusiastically accepted the gifts of donors as they had no place to live initially, they soon realised that the houses were too small to lead a contended life.

They said that houses being built in Meeran Mullan model village were comparatively spacious. They demanded that all the flood-hit people should be provided similar accommodation.

They said that it was strange that the chief minister was interested in providing all facilities to Meeran Mullan residents while altogether ignoring the residents of other areas of the district. The Meeran Mullan model village has a vocational training centre for women, elementary school, dispensary, cattle yard and biogas and solar energy systems to provide fuel and energy to dwellers.

Dawn learned that flood-hit people belonging to so-called elite castes also rejected their adjustment in model colonies near Sanawan, Mahmoodkot and Qasba Gujrat because they felt shy of becoming part of a community where people of lower castes, as per their social beliefs, were living in the neighbourhood.

Choudhry Umar, of Qasba Gujrat, told Dawn that some middleclass families were only waiting for distribution of compensation money by the government and they would prefer living in their old houses rather than in recently-built colonies.

DCO Tahir Khursheed said that 70 to 80 out of total 93 union councils of the district were hit by the super floods.

He said that on the instructions of the chief minister, the administration would provide accommodation to all the displaced persons.

He said that 2,000 more houses would be ready by Jan 31 (Monday) which would be handed over to the flood-hit people.

He said the district government would ensure provision of necessary facilities like roads, watercourses and pavements in all villages of the district.