[Dawn] Thousands of people marooned in rain-hit areas are waiting for rescue and rehabilitation support as breaches in canals and drains, especially in the Left bank Outfall Drain (LBOD), remained unplugged on Monday.| Life in Pakistan becomes ever more interesting. One would think Allah did not approve of the path they have taken. |
In Mirpurkhas, the army was called out to rescue thousands of people stranded in flooded villages in Jhuddo taluka where about 15,000 people have taken shelter in makeshift tents along roads and in school buildings.
Army personnel are surveying the affected areas. Jhuddo town and adjoining villages have a population of about 200,000.
In Badin, the breaches in the main LBOD at RD Nos 272, 261 and 268 have caused widespread damage to crops and losses of property and some lives.
The worst his villages include Widhri Chak, Mithi-III, Mubarak Arain and Akhtar Lund. Almost the entire union councils of Ahmed Rajo, Tarai, Khorwah, rural areas of Golarchi, UC Serani, Bhugra Memon, Mithi-III, Kadi Kazia, Abdullah Shah part of Kadhan and Mohammad Khan Bhurgari of Badin taluka, UC Chabralo, Dai Jarkas, Khoski and Khairpur Gamboh of Tando Bago have been inundated.
Villagers have been able to plug a breach in Akram wah but other breaches are flooding crops and villages.
Three breaches have occurred in Imam wah, three in Amir Shah drain, two each in Scap, Bukhari drain and Noor wah. Breaches have also occurred in Baneri minor, Mir wah, Ghooni, Ganj Bahar Wah, Sultani wah, Shadi small, Shadi large wah, Naseer wah, Manak wah and several other drains and distributaries.
If the banks of the canals and drains are not repaired immediately the water may reach Pangrio, Lowari Sharif, Nindo and other towns.
While the district administration has failed to handle the situation and rescue stranded people, villagers in the affected areas have rushed to government buildings and schools and set up camps. A large number of displaced people staying in the open along canal banks and other higher places have not received any government help.
An official said 36,204 people, 8,240 women and 20,253 children among them, had been accommodated in 144 relief camps in Badin district.
APP adds: After the widening of the breach in the LBOD, the biggest saline nullah of Asia, the number of villages inundated in Badin district crossed 100.
According to TV reports, there is fear of more breaches and flooding because of overflowing and reverse flow in the LBOD. Floodwater has also inundated a grid station in Pangrio and washed away standing crops on hundreds of thousands of acres of land.
A large number of people are marooned in remote coastal villages with no road link to safe areas. Thousands of people have been rescued by army and navy personnel.
The camps set up by the district administration lack basic facilities, including food.