HYDERABAD, Dec 31: As fog envelops everything after sunset on Friday, the last sunset of 2010, and searing cold forces people to stay indoors in the warm and cosy environs of their homes Humaira Chandio, an old flood victim, is still outside lighting a bonfire to keep her tent warm and prepare food for the family.

Adjusting herself on a brick with some difficulty Ms Chandio was kneading flour for bread. “I will fry potatoes,” she said and smilingly invited this correspondent to dine with her.

After the administration stopped supplying free food to survivors in Ms Chandio's camp set up on a piece of land off Hyderabad bypass potato is the only vegetable she can afford. “You can see how we are living here with no water, no food and no warm clothes,” she said.

She wants to return home but it is still under floodwater. “I had never thought that I will come to such a sorry pass in my life,” she said.

Life remains a challenge for her and other survivors in the camp where survivors mostly arrived from upper Sindh in August and September.

Many have returned home only to face more hardships after having suffered hunger and humiliation in camps for months. Their homes have collapsed and they have no means to earn livelihood, forcing them to stay in the open near their homes or return to camps.

“Our homes are still surrounded by water and it's impossible to return,” said a camp dweller Rafiq Jafri, who arrived here from Shikarpur taluka.

Donors, NGOs and local philanthropists have stopped helping the survivors who the revenue officials believe are fast returning home onboard government sponsored vehicles and no doctor visits the camp to treat them.

The just concluded year offered nothing to millions of survivors to feel happy about. Mostly farmers by profession they had never thought they would have to go through such a traumatic phase in their life.

They had to abandon their homes in the middle of the night when the deluge entered their homes after a breach in Tori embankment on Aug 7 and another in S.M. Bund in Thatta district on Aug 26. Floods have caused massive damage to infrastructure of irrigation and agriculture. Sindh government figures show that 2.6 million acres of agricultural land was submerged and 7.3 million people were displaced besides deaths of 125,000 livestock.

Rs52 billion are needed for the rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure. The government has assessed losses to agriculture sector at Rs136 billion while Sindh Abadgar Board puts the figure at Rs183 billion losses caused by floods, rains and unavailability of water in the left bank areas during last Kharif season.

The displaced population is still crying for medical help. Pneumonia, the most common cause of death among children, and hypothermia keep stalking whether they stay at camps or move to their villages.

Watan Cards have been issued to a large number of survivors to receive first instalment of Rs20,000 but many still remain deprived of this facility. They are running from pillar to post to get the card. No one knows when they will get the remainder of Rs80,000 as promised by the government.

Winter is getting harsher with each passing day. “They need warm clothes, especially expecting mothers and newborn babies who will be in great danger,” said Prof. Dr. Salma Shaikh, a known paediatrician.

“Use of bio-fuel can increase chances of respiratory infections and deaths from pneumonia. Lack of food may lead to malnutrition and increase risk of death,” she feared.She said that social and behaviourial problems were common among survivors due to parental depression, frustration and lack of resources.

Government's plans to build homes for survivors appear to be in gestation period.

The director general of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Ejaz Mangi, said: “We are planning on whether the proposed house should have one or two rooms and a concrete structure.”

He said that only 155,000 people were lodged in camps as per data provided by district revenue authorities to the PDMA and Watan Cards had been issued to 470,000 family heads.

But Dr. Kaiser Bengali, adviser to Sindh chief minister on planning and development, said: “500,000 to 700,000 people are still living in camps and they will have to live there for another three months until floodwater completely recedes from their areas.”

Dr. Bengali informed the president in a meeting on Dec 30 that Sindh had suffered Rs447 billion losses in terms of damage to agriculture, education and health sectors, road, bridges, energy and other departments.

He said that rehabilitation process would take three years to complete and warned “if funds are delayed then rehabilitation will take 5 to 7 years”.

PDMA gave zero performance during floods. It did not have any capacity to respond to man-made or natural disasters because it simply did not have any disaster management plan.

“We are going for structural uplift of the organisation in consultation with stakeholders,” said Mangi. He is aware of the fact that weather changes may lead to another flood next year and believed required preparedness should be ensured right now.

Floods have caused colossal damage to farmers and agriculture sector in the command area on the right bank of Indus, which is known for paddy cultivation.

When flood hit the area 80 per cent of paddy nurseries were ready for transplantation and in lower Sindh the crop was almost ready for harvest.

“The commission formed by the government also holds officials responsible for negligence. We demand that assets of these officials should be forfeited. Rehabilitation of irrigation system should be focussed primarily on providing water for Kharif,” demanded Abdul Majeed Nizamani, president of Sindh Abadgar Board.

Thatta is the only district on the left bank which was hit by floods. Supply of water to the areas on the right bank during Kharif will be a challenge for irrigation department. “Initial plan is to make irrigation and road networks operational. Roads are almost motorable,” said Dr. Bengali. He admitted that distribution of seed and fertiliser free of charge among flood-hit farmers had been delayed due to some reasons.

If Dr. Bengali's is right that survivors will have to stay in camps for another three months then Ms Chandio will have to continue feeding her family on potatoes in absence of any help from the government or private donors.