Daily Times

As time is passing the desert area of Thar is severely affecting the poor people and their livestock. Though the government of Sindh has started supplying the Wheat 50 kilo every CNIC holder of the drought area, the situation seems not as good. Now a day’s another districts Jamshoro and Badin is also in the fear of drought.

Severe drought has occurred in the Thar Desert of Sindh, failure of monsoon observed in all the Taluka of District Tharparker again this year, however it is too little and too late for many crops in the area and it resulted in a severe shortage of food and water. The people of Tharparker live on agriculture, livestock and daily wages. Estimated 30 to 40 percent is dependent on agriculture and Cattle respectively. Agriculture is largely dependent on monsoon rainfall.

Shortage of food and water, children died in Mithi Hospital belongs to different areas. The whole district may be under threat of facing the impact of famine crises due to severe drought condition. Farmers who depend on beans, wheat and sesame seeds for survival, bartering surplus in exchange for livestock are severely under stress.

People of the area are affected and the process of migration has been continued. Their livestock is also severely affected. Livestock victim to drought in various ways, water shortage and their impact make animal weaker prone to diseases. The Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants of water are not properly working and more than 50 percent are out of order. The government of Sindh has issued the money to a contractor for functionalisation of RO plants but need more and special attention for the drinking of water.

Thar is very remote and poor area than other parts of Sindh, therefore needed full attention of Government and NGOs.

According to sources that 323,435 families in Tharparker and 43,240 families in Umerkot are affected. The government has decided to give 50-kilo wheat to each family every month.

Emergency relief operation has to be started by the government in the drought-hit area of Thar.

The relief has been launched by the directive of Sindh government and 208,247 families of Thar would be provided Wheat free of cost 50 kg each. The list has been provided by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

The measurement has been done for all the Seven Taluka of District and 50 Kilo will be supplied Wheat to every family. The district administration has advised the head of the family to produce their CNIC for getting the Wheat bags. The food department Government of Sindh has provided wheat bags to District administration for delivery to needed people of the area.

The availability of these wheat bags has been placed in their own Talukas like Mithi, IslamKot, Diplo, Nagarparker, Kaloi, Dahli and Chachro. The availability of Wheat is not reachable for every family because arrangement have been not done at the doorstep and poor people are non-affordable at this movement due to the Drought situation. The wheat alone is not a solution and other items may be included in the package, that must be near to their Villages, so the poor people get Ration from Government easily, otherwise they will pay the price for wheat on coming and going back from the place of distribution.

The relief has been launched by the directive of Sindh government and 208,247 families of Thar would be provided Wheat free of cost 50 kg each. The list has been provided by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). The measurement has been done for all the Seven Taluka of District and 50 Kilo will be supplied Wheat to every family

The Nutrition program and Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) project are under control of the Health Department, working since last many years but no proper result has been found. Nutrition program and MNCH must be provided Milk, Sugar, Oil and medicine to affected areas, so they may be prevented from further Malnutrition, as the budget of these programs are in a good position. District management also be activated to supply the water to these remote areas by tankers.

The government also takes measures about Livestock Vaccination and rehabilitation of people from drought area to the Barrage areas, where their livestock can also get the water.

The government should also make efforts to alert the Hospitals in case of any out brakes and presently make sufficient Medicine in Major Hospitals to treat properly Children; those are admitted in Hospitals especially in Mithi. On other way migration of peoples are still continued to Barrage areas, where sufficient amount of water available. As I have already mentioned in my last article about that whole district has won by PPP in 2018 election except Single MPA, their members must visit frequently to area people and also support financial assistance to needed THARI.

The migration has been also started in Khohistan – Thano Bola Khan, District Jamshoro and areas of District Badin, they also required help and attention of Government and elected representative. The time will never come back, otherwise situation will be worst. Iam also praying from GOD for rain in these areas.

The writer is a retired doctor of the Sindh Health Department

Published in Daily Times, October 25^th 2018.