MITHI, Sept 22: The Thar-parkar district Nazim on Saturday urged the government to take stock of drought in Thar and take measures to stem migration of the local population.

In a letter sent to the Sindh governor and other provincial authorities, he urged the government to move the Election Commission to postpone the election in Thar until the return of Tharis enabled them to exercise their right to vote.

He said that hardly 30 per cent of the Thari voters would be able to cast their votes in the October elections.

Stressing the need for declaring the entire district calamity-hit, he said that intense drought conditions had forced most of the Thari people to move towards the areas near canals. He also called for immediate relief measures to stop the large-scale migration.

Arbab Attaullah, the Nazim of Tharparkar district, said that erratic rainfall in the zone had set the stage for worsening drought conditions in Thar.

The extended dry spell in the sandy zone, he said, had created an acute shortage of corn, fodder and water in the entire district.

Thousands of people, with no permanent source of income, had been forced to abandon their homes in search of sustenance in the irrigated districts, he said. The cattle, which they had been forced to leave behind, had been falling victim to starvation, he added.

The letter stated that the Sindh governor as well as the provincial chief secretary were given a detailed briefing regarding the drought by the district Nazim during their recent visit to Thar.

The letter stated that the chief secretary was learnt to have directed the senior member of the Board of Revenue for necessary action.

However, the Nazim said, if prompt relief measures were not taken about 70 per cent of the population would migrate from Tharparkar district.