HYDERABAD, March 17: A team of an NGO which conducted a survey of Tharparkar has demand of federal and Sindh governments to sanction special funds to speed up relief activities in the area.

The 15-member team, including former federal minister Javed Jabbar who founded the NGO, Gul-i-Farkhanda, MNA Adullah Murad Baloch, MPA Dr H. B. Kolachi, Dr Saeed Ismail and Nehaal Hashmi, visited ten locations in the four talukas of Tharparkar during the four-day survey.

In a statement faxed to Dawn, Yousuf Bandhani, the director of the NGO, Baanhn Beli, expressed concern over the pitiable condition of the people of Tharparkar who had been facing drought-like situation for a long time.

The team members regretted that out of 21 sanctioned posts of doctors and specialists at the Nagarparkar Taluka Hospital, 14 were vacant.

They urged the health department to immediately post at least seven more doctors.

They said action should be taken against health professionals who refused to serve at remote locations.

Our Mithi correspondent adds: Thar is facing drought-like condition for the last four years and people are living miserable lives but no contingency plan has been devised by relevant quarters to cope with the situation.

This was said by MPA Abdullah Murad and Syed Mohammad Nehal Hashmi while talking to newsmen after visiting Thar on Saturday.

They said the recent heavy spell of rain had compelled Tharis to migrate along with their cattle to safer places.