KARACHI, Aug 5: An emergency situation has been declared in view of anticipated heavy rainfall in Sindh, particularly in lower Sindh and coastal areas, on Aug 8. The administration has been issued directives to immediately shift people and livestock from areas to avoid human and material losses.
The directives were issued by Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim while presiding over a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister House here on Thursday. He directed that a constant vigil be maintained at canals, water courses and branches and measures be taken to check occurrence of breaches.
He ordered immediate establishment of control rooms in every district to function under DCOs concerned and provincial control room in the office of the chief secretary to start functioning with immediate effect.
A control room will also function in the secretariat of the chief minister to monitor the situation. The meeting was informed that various parts of Tharparkar received 29 mm of rainfall on Wednesday which sent a wave of delight among the Tharis, but at the same time it caused insanitation and mud.
The DCOs of Karachi and Hyderabad were directed to make special arrangements for disposal of rainwater as well as sanitary conditions in the two big cities. He said that all open manholes should be properly covered.
The chief minister directed the DCO of Tharparkar to take steps for cleanliness in Mithi and get the standing water pumped out. All the functionaries too were directed to adopt precautionary measures so that damages like that of last year could be avoided.
Dr Arbab asked the secretary of health to make emergency arrangements in all the hospitals of Sindh for treatment of patients and, if need, arrange medical camps and mobile medical teams.
In view of anticipated rains and emergency declared thereof, the chief minister ordered the setting up of district relief committees throughout Sindh and appointed the provincial ministers and advisors as head of these committees to monitor the relief activities.
According to details, Shoaib Bukhari, Qamar Mansoor, Adil Siddiqi, Waseem Akhtar and Mustafa Kamal were appointed for Karachi, Aijaz Shah Shirazi for Thatta, Syed Ali Bux Shah for Badin, Faqir Jadam Mangrio for Tharparkar, Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani for Mirpurkhas, Ch Iftekhar Hussain for Mirpurkhas, Rauf Siddiqi for Hyderabad, Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh for Sukkur, Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashdi for Khairpur, Dr Mushtaq Rahu for Nawabshah, Dr Sohrab Sarki for Ghotki, Arif Mustafa Jatoi for Naushahro Feroze, Dr Hameed Khuhro for Larkana, Sultan Ahmed Khawar for Shikarpur, Mir Manzoor Panhwar for Jacobabad.
The chief minister directed them to monitor the situation in their respective districts, set up relief camps in case of rains and protect people against miseries.
A met official told the meeting that rain gauges have been installed in each taluka and sub-divisional headquarter so that situation is monitored while the met office will keep on providing information to the irrigation and revenue officials on a daily basis.
The chief minister directed the officials of irrigation department to expedite efforts with regard to cleaning of canals and the completion of on-going works. The police department was directed to take all safety and precautionary measures. Dr Arbab asked his ministers and advisors to keep an eye on problems in their respective areas and get them solved. -APP