NAUSHAHARO FEROZE: Several villages and crops on hundreds of acres in riverine area in Kandiaro taluka were inundated after rise in Indus river on Monday.

In Mithiani area, the villages of Haji Khaskheli, Jam ja Bhaan, Hahen ja Bhaan, Jabal Shar, Faqeer Tando Shar, Aalam Ja Bhaan, Ghazi Khan Khaskheli, Rano Bhurt, Dur Mohammad Khaskheli, Mager Khaskheli, Zaffar Bhurt, and crops of cotton, sesame seeds and others on hundreds of acres were completely inundated.

The villagers could barely manage to salvage their wheat stocks and shift them along with their families to safe places in the areas relatively above the level of riverbed.

The displaced people complained that they were sitting in the open without any help from the government. No rescue and relief operation was carried out by the government to save them from oncoming flood, they said.

They said that they had left behind many who could not leave their submerged abodes due to shortage of boats and were waiting for help.

They appealed to deputy commissioner of Naushahro Feroze to rescue them through boats.

Protest against Hesco

More than 200 residents of Luqman Colony in Kandiaro town staged a sit-in outside Hesco office on Monday.

The protesters’ leaders Munawwar Jamali, Niaz Meerani and Ghulam Anas Mangrio complained to reporters that the transformer supplying power to their area burnt down over a fortnight ago but it had not been replaced despite several meetings with SDO and written requests to the officials concerned.

They claimed that they had also paid the “bribe” required for the new transformer; still it had not been replaced.

The protesters raised slogans against Hesco officials and demanded immediate installation of the new transformer and transfer of the SDO.

They warned that in case of failure to fulfil their demand, they would continue the protest.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2020