THATTA, Aug 16: Hundreds of villages and thousands of acres of agricultural land have been inundated in Sujawal sub-division, comprising four talukas, because drainage network played havoc by overflowing and torrential rains developed breaches at various places last week.

Coastal taluka Jati is one of the worst-affected areas where except for the main town, almost all the union councils including Ahmed Raju, Begna, Gul Mohammad Baran, Kothi, Kar Malak and scores of villages as well as crops of cotton, paddy, sugarcane, vegetables, banana and orchards and farms of fish, shrimp and poultry are under knee-deep water.

In taluka Mirpur Bathoro, Chellriyoon, Sandeji, Kakraat, Babrri and other areas, a number of villages located in Darya Khan Soho union council have been submerged under saline water.

In UC Mehar Shah of taluka Mirpur Bathoro, Karpur, Liyari, Sar Jaho, Rello, Kandor, Bambto and Samani areas have been flooded.

In union council Jhoke Sharif Deh Talahi, Charbati, Khadey Dini, Daalidal and other areas have been submerged.

In taluka Sujawal, Jaar, Keenjhar and Belo union councils are the worst affected while in Shah Bandar, 60 per cent of the rural areas have been inundated.

On Tuesday, MNA Dr Abdul Wahid Soomro, Sindh minister for Jails Sadiq Ali Memon, PPP MPA Haji Usman Jalbani and DCO Thatta Mohammad Jaffar Abbasi along with a team of reporters visited various affected sites of the main Karo Goongro drain and its offshoots.

Member PPP Sindh Council Aijaz Ali Khuwaja and a former executive engineer of the irrigation department, Syed Hashim Shah, told the XEN drainage, Syed Fayaz Shah, to immediately open gates of regulators installed at the sub-drains to release water.

But Fayaz Shah said activation of regulators would render more losses because it would develop water pressure on both banks of the main drain.The leaders were told that over half a dozen breaches, erosions and the frequent backflow of water were occurred because of the growing pressure of rainwater in the Thatta drainage network.

Meanwhile, PML-Q MNA Syed Ayaz Ali Shah Shirazi, who also visited the affected area, told reporters that the departments concerned had not carried out de-silting, de-weeding and cleansing of the drainage network comprising 37 subdrains and a main drain Karo Goongro, for years which led to damages.

The MNA said that he was told by area growers that the last year’s flood had caused irreparable losses to them but the current damages to their agricultural fields had pushed them many years back. They requested for immediate help to face the crisis.

Leaders of public opinion, including legislators from Thatta district, have demanded of the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah to declare the four talukas of Sujawal sub-division calamity-hit.

DCO Abbasi said the district administration had set up relief camps at Jhoke Sharif, Mirpur Bathoro and Jati.

He said assessment of losses was under way and he would recommend maximum relief to those sustained irreparable losses.