Daily Times

“This isn’t just a road, it’s the path that saved our lives,” said 35-year-old Priya Kumari, a mother of three from the village of Tando Haider. She further shared, “During the floods, the road leading to our village was washed away. After the water receded, it left behind massive potholes. When my youngest child was born, I had to travel through that broken road to reach the hospital. By God’s grace, both my child and I survived what could have been a tragedy.”

For Priya, those memories remain nothing short of a nightmare. The newly built road she referred to passes close to her village.

It was a cool morning in the third week of November, around noon. Standing on the newly constructed smooth road connecting Tando Haider to Tando Kaisar, we had just left Priya’s home. Although traffic on this road was sparse compared to major cities, it was nothing less than a miracle for the nearby villagers who relied on it for their daily commutes.

Muhammad Kareem from Bhando Sharif, riding a motorcycle with a friend, stopped when he saw us. Recalling the devastation of the 2022 floods, he said, “The floods destroyed everything in our village. We didn’t leave, but there was nothing left here. Water was everywhere, life came to a standstill. Our homes and fields were submerged.”

The fear and pain were still evident on Kareem’s face. “We are farmers, with small pieces of land that sustain us. After a few months, the water receded, but the damaged roads made it almost impossible to reach the market,” he added.

Kareem’s companion, Hidayatullah, a school teacher, shared his perspective: “It wasn’t just the market, traveling anywhere had become impossible. Teachers like us somehow managed to reach schools and colleges, but students, especially girls, couldn’t. Families, unwilling to endure the struggle of navigating broken roads and muddy potholes, simply stopped sending their children to school. Even when parents accompanied their daughters, the condition of the roads made it too difficult, so they were kept home too.”

Kareem further explained that he owns just a few acres of land where he used to grow vegetables, providing a decent livelihood. “After the floodwaters receded, we resumed farming, but transporting our produce to the market became a huge challenge with the roads washed away,” he added.

Farm to Market

The road from Tando Haider to Tando Kaisar, which stretches for 10 kilometers in Hyderabad district, directly benefits a population of 28,000 from 10 villages: Tando Haider, Bhindo Shareef, Laal Hingoro, Hafeez Abro, Aleem Abro, Jhando Khoso, Tando Qaiser, Ali Murad Parhiyar, and Ilayas Parhiyar. This road is also connected to a 3-kilometer-long link road from Jhando Kaisar to Usman Shah in Hyderabad district. The surrounding area includes schools, colleges, and a basic health unit. So far, 143 such roads have been constructed, covering a total length of approximately 868.85 kilometers. These roads are known as “Farm to Market” roads.

According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Sindh, during the 2022 floods, the province received an unprecedented amount of rainfall. Sindh experienced 464% above-average rainfall from June to August 2022. This resulted in devastating flooding that displaced millions and caused widespread destruction. The total recorded rainfall in Sindh during this period was approximately 784 millimeters (mm), compared to the usual average of around 125 mm for the monsoon season.

During the unprecedented rains, the road network spanning 8,463 kilometers across the province was completely destroyed. This devastation severely impacted transportation and access to essential services, leaving many villages isolated. Rebuilding these roads has been a crucial part of the Sindh government’s recovery efforts.

Ghulam Asghar Kanasro, Project Director of the Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project, explained, “Our goal is to restore the province’s infrastructure. Under this project, we have rebuilt a network of 143 roads covering 867 kilometers, benefiting 2.1 million people in 1,640 villages across 19 districts of Sindh. These roads are known as ‘Farm to Market’ roads.”

Kanasro further emphasized, “These roads are not just infrastructure; they are an investment in our community’s future. By prioritizing quality and performance, we have created a project that will continue to benefit our community for years to come.”

Solar-Powered Water Supply Solutions Province-Wide

The 2022 floods caused extensive damage, including the destruction of all drinking water sources. In response, the Department of Planning and Development Sindh government, with the support of World Bank, intends to install 500 water plants in various areas, one of which has been installed in the village of Karo Kaho. It operates using solar panels and adheres to the best practices for water purification.

This is also a long story, Shaheryar Ahmed Environment Specialist (SFERP) explained. “When we visited the Karo Kaho water supply scheme, we discovered that the solar system was faulty and of low capacity. A 45 kW solar pump was required for water supply, but its capacity was only 20 kW. Therefore, SFERP worked on improving the functionality of the solar system and increased its capacity by 25 kW. The current capacity is now 45 kW, and it is fully operational, as you observed during your visit.

During the design phase of the water supply project, we consulted with men’s and women’s groups in the village to understand their issues and needs. These consultations allowed us to incorporate their feedback into the design and implementation process. During these discussions, the community requested the provision of a filtration plant for safe drinking water. In response, SFERP included this request in the design and installed an ultrafiltration system and a hypochlorinator to ensure the availability of safe and clean drinking water.

Shaheryar further added, “The installation of hypo chlorinators is a critical element in water supply schemes, as they play a key role in ensuring the safety and quality of drinking water. By adding chlorine to the water, hypo chlorinators effectively eliminate harmful germs, including bacteria and viruses that can cause waterborne diseases.”

Deputy Project Director Muhammad Aslam Laghari explained, “We started this project in June 2024 and Around 250 families and nearly 3,000 people are benefiting from this project. The stored water will be enough for the local population for 21 days.”

Sana Siddique Social Safeguard and Resettlement Specialist , SFERP GoS provided additional details, that the community is very happy and satisfied with the water plant installed in Karo Kaho. Following this successful example, more 500 water schemes is being rehabilitated in Badin, Umerkot, Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpur Khas, Sanghar, Jacobabad, Qamber Shahdadkot, Dadu, Jamshoro, Naushahro Feroze, and Khairpur, benefiting three million people.

Rescue 1122

During floods or any other natural disaster, the top priority is to save human lives. To achieve this, the Rescue 1122 service has been activated across the province.

The Sindh Emergency Rescue Service (SERS), also known as Rescue 1122, is operational in several districts of Sindh, including Karachi, Larkana, Thatta, Sujawal, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Badin, Sukkur, Shaheed Benazirabad and Hyderabad. To enhance emergency response capabilities, the Government of Sindh, with support from the World Bank’s Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project, is expanding SERS to additional districts. This expansion includes Naushero Feroz, Qambar Shahdadkot, Ghotki, Badin, Jacobabad, Jamshoro, Tharparkar.

Sana Siddiqui, stated: “In many areas, Rescue 1122 centers is fully operational, ensuring rapid response to emergencies and providing life-saving assistance to those in need during natural disasters.”

In Hyderabad District, the 1122 Rescue Emergency Center is equipped with modern tools and trained staff. Emergency Officer Roshan Ali Mihar stated that the 1122 service was established in Hyderabad after the 2022 floods, with the aim of saving lives promptly. He mentioned that about 80 staff members are working in two shifts. “Whether it’s a road accident or any other emergency, our staff is trained to handle all situations,” he said. He further added, “We have four boats, one crane, four fire tenders, 20 divers, three ambulances, and one truck at our disposal.”

Regarding this, Ghulam Asghar Kanasro commented, “The establishment of this center has significantly improved emergency response and rescue operations, ensuring that we can save lives even in the most challenging conditions.

As a lead, I consistently emphasize the ‘Build Back Better’ approach, ensuring quality, durability, and timely completion. Last monsoon’s flood predictions underscored the urgency of these projects, enabling uninterrupted access to essential resources like clean water and enhancing rescue operations across Sindh”.