Daily Times

The drought has become a frequent phenomenon in Pakistan, especially in Sindh due to the climate change and an increase in pollution.

It is one of the factors responsible for poor growth performance in the country. Droughts occur if there is no rain during the monsoon season. Taluka of District Tharparkar suffered a severe drought in 2013 and 2014, which resulted in many crops dying in the area, further leading to food shortages.

The people of Tharparkar live on agriculture, livestock, and daily wages. An estimate of 30 to 40 percent of people are dependant on agriculture and cattle, respectively.

Due to food and water shortage, a large number of children died in Mithi Hospital who belonged to different parts of the district. Moreover, the whole district might succumb to famine crisis, unless immediate is action is taken to prevent it.

The Thar Desert is located 300 kilometers east of Karachi and runs up to the border of India. It is dominated by subsistence farmers who depend on beans, wheat and sesame seeds for survival.

This year again, Thar is suffering from droughts forcing people to migrate. Their livestock is also a victim of the climate, water shortage makes the animals weaker and prone to diseases. Reverse Osmosis (RO) is not properly working and more than 50 percent of water plants are out of order.

The Sindh Government in their cabinet meeting on last Monday declared Thar as a drought-stricken district  and issued notifications to combat the situation. Thar is located in a remote area which barely has access to basic facilities, thus the government and the NGOs need to provide extra provisions to the people.

In Tharparkar, the government has an opportunity to help the people before there is a major outbreak of disease. In order to do so, they need to implement policies that will increase the population’s resilience and livelihood, and thus reduce their vulnerability to climate change

According to sources, almost 323,435 families in Tharparkar and 43,240 families in Umerkot have been affected by the changing climate conditions. The government has decided to give out 50 kilograms of wheat to each family, every month.

The Chief Minister of Sindh told the Revenue Minister and the Education Minister to visit the people of Thar and devise strategies to help them; the same order was issued to the Secretary of Health and Food.

Thari people are the supporters of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the party won all the seats in the area except one. Therefore, the MPAs, MNAs, and the Sindh government are keen on helping them. Vaccinations, food packages, and other utilities are provided to them.

However, the majority is bereft of these necessities, especially those who belong to Mithi, Nangerparker, Diplo, Dahili, Islamkot, and Chachro. Moreover, the people from the aforementioned places are migrating to areas, where water is available to them and their livestock. In 2014, it was estimated that 35 to 45 percent of the people were migrating from these areas.

In Tharparkar, the government has an opportunity to help the people before there is a major outbreak of disease. In order to do so, they need to implement policies that will increase the population’s resilience and livelihood, and thus reduce their vulnerability to climate change.

The writer is a retired doctor of the Sindh Health Department

Published in Daily Times, September 14^th 2018.