MIRPURKHAS, Aug 16: Parts of Mirpurkhas district are still reeling under the impact of flood caused by last week’s torrential rains followed by breaches in saline water drains.
Thousands of people, who had left their flooded villages, are living under open sky, on roads and in government buildings with no relief operation in sight.
Three to five feet of water is still standing in most parts of the rural areas in Jhuddo, Digri, Mirpurkhas, Kot Ghulam Mohammad talukas and parts of Hussain Bux Mari and Sindhri talukas with and knee-deep water in the towns.
In taluka Hussain Bux Mari, a 200-foot-wide breach had occured in LBOD west branch three days ago inundating a number of villages.
Affected villagers, including women and children, have taken shelter on roads and in government buildings.
Hundreds of houses, including double-storey buildings, had been constructed in the bed of Puran Nullah in Jhuddo town and now a very small quantity of water was passing through it. No authority is ready to remove encroachments form the Nullah.
Banks of Puran Nullah and surface drain of LBOD were strengthened by the irrigation officials to save Jhuddo town from complete devastation.
Due to overflow from Puran Nullah, over half a dozen villages, including Ramzan Khushik had submerged under five foot of water and villagers were shifted to safer places.
Khalid Pervez Sadaf, a social worker of Jhuddo, told Dawn that no relief goods were distributed among the affected people thousands of whom were living in makeshift shelters on roads and in government buildings. The people were facing acute shortage of drinking water, he added.
In Digri town all main roads and streets had come under knee-deep water. In Kot Ghulam Mohammad taluka, many villages are facing a similar situation and people are living under the sky.
In taluka Mirpurkhas, near Mirwah Gorchani, water is flowing at a height of two feet on Mirpurkhas-Mirwah Gorchani road and vehicles are passing with a difficulty.
AIMALS’ DEATH: Due to downpour in the district, around 1,364 cattle heads and 15,000 chickens had died, 150 poultry farms had partly damaged while 15 others completely destroyed.
This was stated by the District Officer Poultry Development Mirpurkhas, Dr Aziz. He said that four teams were working in the field to vaccinate birds.
The District Officer Livestock and Animal Husbandry, Dr Zawar Leghari, said that 1,364 animals died during downpour while over 27,000 were vaccinated and over 200 were treated.
MNA’s VISIT: Mir Munawar Ali Talpur, MNA, has said the government would not leave rain-hit people alone and all possible assistance would be provided to them.
He was addressing a gathering during his visit of an army medical camps at Mir ji Landhi and Government Girls Degree College in Tando Jan Mohammad on Tuesday.
He said the government was taking measures for their rehabilitation. He said so far 400 tents had been sent to taluka Digri and 400 tents to taluka Jhuddo for rain-hit people.
He said that heavy machinery would son be brought to drain out stagnant water. Mr Talpur said efforts would be made to reconstruct demolished houses.
DCO Mirpurkhas Ghulam Hussain Memon briefed him about the measures taken by district government to provide relief goods and other facilities to the affected people.
Mr Memon said that a water purification plant would be installed in Jhuddo so that canal water might be supplied to people after purification.
Meanwhile, Hilal-i-Ahmer Society distributed ration, tents, mineral water, food items and plastic sheets to 50 families.