Torrential rains pour down devastation

MIRPURKHAS/QUETTA – At least 21 people were killed and dozens of others injured in three days of incessant rains in Sindh and parts of Balochistan and Punjab. The rains have also brought huge damage to properties, besides causing extensive destruction of standing crops.
Interior Sindh is the most affected region where several villages were inundated and cut off from other areas.Three children were killed in a roof collapse in Shikarpur. The rescue team retrieved the bodies from the debris. The rain also lashed Larkana, Qamber Shahdadkot, Khairpur, Thatta, Mipur Khas, Nowshera Feroz, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammed Khan, Badin and areas of Thar on Wednesday. The flood water in these areas washed away at least 13 people.Over 1,000 mud houses were destroyed in Dadu due to the storm and rain. Seventeen people were injured in the district while hundreds of acres of crops were destroyed. The hour-long rain in Hyderabad turned the city roads into the brooks and streams. Several feet of water accumulated in low-lying areas of the city. The sewerage system and electricity supply to the city too was severely affected.
In Thatta, several areas were inundated and large numbers of people were migrating from the areas. They were facing huge problems while shifting to safer places. In Badin, 400 millimetres of rain submerged many areas and land link of the district was also disconnected. A 35-feet wide breach emerged in Goni Canal’s section between RD 108 and RD 109 villages in Badin. The breach affected Goth Ali Muhammad, Mehri, Nawaz Chandiyo and surrounding areas.
In Mirpurkhas, heavy downpours continued to lash the city and its surrounding villages for the last four days, increasing the misery of the people already living in makeshift tents, government buildings and under open sky.Officials and employees of the Mirpurkhas TMA did not turn up for the help of the people as they had been waiting for the rains to stop to resume their relief work. Hundreds of houses had been damaged and thousands of others caved in due to the rains continuing intermittently in the district. Thousands of cattle had also been reported drowned.
Rain and sewage water entered into the houses of residents of various areas, including Khad Plot, Gharibabad, Lalchandabad, Hameed Pura Colony, Model Town, Khari Quarters, Toorabad, Dholanabad, Naipara, Hirabad, Mir Ka Plot, Rajar Colony, Nawab Colony and Pak Colony. The affected people were forced to leave their houses and shift to safer places.As per reports, the level of stagnant rain and saline water in Digri and Jhuddo areas has also risen. Teams of the army were busy in rescuing the stranded villagers of Digri and Jhuddo.
About three kilometre-long portion of Tando Jan Mohammad-Jhuddo Town Road, from Khathro Stop to Deh 202, was inundated under three feet deep water. Mirpurkhas-Jhuddo Town Road was also under similar conditions. All kinds of traffic, heavy and light, were suspended. Only a few coasters were running between Mirpurkhas and Jhuddo.Nevertheless, Mirpurkhas DCO Ghulam Hussain Memon said that emergency had been declared in the district. He said that Irrigation Department officials and staffers were ready to face any unexpected situation should there be any breach in LBOD drains and canals. The DCO said that 36 millimetre rainfall was recorded.
Meanwhile, MNA Mir Munawar Ali Khan Talpur, while talking to newsmen, said the district was worst hit by the recent rains. He said the aid received from the government for relief works was insufficient, adding that at least Rs 100 million were required for undertaking relief activities in the district.Meanwhile, four people, including two children and a woman, were killed in rain-related incidents during the past three days in the district.In Balaochistan, heavy rains lashed Kalat, Khuzdar and Naseerabad, affecting several villages of the districts.The districts received downpour during last three days, hampering normal life. According to sources, several villages, including Kaysan Dhon, Lakoria, Moli, Lagari, were inundated in flash floods in Kalat after torrential rains hit different parts of the district, compelling people to shift to safer places. Similarly, Khuzdar, the bordering district of Kalat, also received heavy rains, damaging dozens of mud houses and raising water level in Zawar Dam. Several cattle were reportedly killed.
Commissioner Mir Muhammad Iqbal Khosa has declared emergency in Kalat and Khuzdar districts and cancelled leaves of the officials concerned to meet any untoward incident. The sources said that relief items for the affected people of Kalat were dispatched.According to reports, several small villages have been washed away by floods in Naseerabad, which was badly affected by unprecedented floods last year.The sources said that after heavy flood in the Pat Feeder Canal, about 15 small villages had been inundated, compelling the people to leave their homes. No relief items had been reached the affected areas, the sources said, adding that people were facing many difficulties.
Staff Reporter from Islamabad adds: President Asif Ali Zardari has telephoned Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and sought an immediate report on the destruction caused by recent rains in Sindh.Zardari took notice of rain damages in upper Sindh after his return from Tajikistan. He urged the Sindh government to assess the damages and report to the federal government. The President also stressed upon the authorities to allow public access to statistics on immediate measures being taken for rehabilitation.