DADU, Aug 8: Two groups of flood victims took to streets in Mehar on Wednesday to protest against irregularities in aid distribution and the thrashing of flood-affected women by the police as a breach in a saline water drain inundated a village and farmland.
A large number of residents of Khan-jo-Goth, Qadir Bux, Saeedpur, Wahi Jagir and other villages of the Mehar taluka staged a demonstration at Ghantaghar Chowk in Mehar. Led by Reshman, Zohran and other affected women, they raised slogans against the local revenue officials and police. The angry protesters burnt tyres and blocked main road of the town for an hour.
Ms Reshman said that the revenue officials were providing relief goods to undeserving people as thousands of flood-affected people were facing shortage of food at relief camps.
Ms Afroze said that the police were playing main role in the distribution of relief goods and added that two days ago, the police baton-charged the flood-affected women when they came to collect relief goods. She demanded immediate suspension of the TPO and SHO of Mehar and other police officials for being involved in the incident.
The residents of Girkan took out a rally in Mehar against the Mehar mukhtiarkar, accusing him of selling relief goods to shopkeepers and depriving the affected people of succour.
Mohammad Umer said that the Khan-jo-Goth union council nazim had recommended their applications for relief goods to the mukhtiarkar but he refused to give them relief goods.
He alleged that the mukhtiarkar in connivance with the union council nazims of Mehar taluka was selling relief goods to shopkeepers. He appealed to the president and the prime minister to direct the Sindh chief minister to take action against the mukhtiarkar and ensure provision of relief goods to them.
Meanwhile, the Sindh police chief suspended four police officials on Wednesday for beating flood-affected women. Those suspended are TPO Mehar Humair Bhangwar, SHO Mehar Badar Buriro, ASI Subhan and head constable Niaz Hussain Janwari. The PPO has appointed TPO headquarters Dadu Gul Baig Jatoi as inquiry officer to investigate into the matter.
BREACH: About 30-feet breach occurred in Sim Nullah near Dadar village in Mehar taluka late Tuesday night, inundating the village and 300 acres of agricultural land.
The villagers shifted their families to safe places. Ali Bux Khoso and Mohammad Bux Khoso told Dawn that the breach had occurred due to weak embankments of the drain.