Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday assured Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah of all-out support by the federal government in the relief and rehabilitation efforts for the flood-affected people.
Talking to Shehbaz over phone, Murad informed him about the latest relief and rehabilitation efforts in the province. The premier emphasized that no efforts should be spared to support the flood victims. He also appreciated the Sindh government efforts in the relief and rehabilitation activities.
He expressed his gratitude to the premier and the federal government for their concerns and support for the flood-affected people and assured that they would not disappoint the affected people.
“Sindh hasn’t seen devastation on such a scale before. Crops have destroyed and the cattle perished,” the PM said.
Earlier, he had announced that Rs1 million compensation would be given to the families of each of the deceased.
He had also instructed the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) to distribute Rs25,000 to every rain-affected and displaced family in Sindh.
Shehbaz also announced a Rs15 billion grant for the Sindh government, which the province could utilise at its discretion for rehabilitation of the affected people.
On Thursday, the Indus was in high flood with a flow of 531,000 cusecs water at Guddu; 529,000 cusecs at Sukkur and 408,000 cusecs at Kotri. According to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa), so far, 16.7 million acre-feet of water had been released into the sea.
Meanwhile, torrents, after devastating Larkana, were raging in the Dadu district. After inundating the Khairpur Nathan Shah taluka of the Dadu district and Sujawal Junejo taluka of Kambar-Shahdadkot district, the Mehartaluka of Dadu came under serious threat of flooding.
Meanwhile, electricity supply to 46 grid stations among the 81 affected by floods had been restored, a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office revealed on Saturday.
The restoration work was underway on the orders of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had instructed all the officers of the Power Division to restore power supply to flood-affected areas on an emergency basis, the statement added.
The premier was said to be personally overseeing the restoration work, and a report regarding the progress was being submitted to him on a daily basis.
According to details, initially, a total of 881 feeders of 11 KV power had been affected during the monsoon rains and floods affecting supply to about 975,000 consumers, however, 475 feeders had been restored, with power being supplied to 70,600 consumers.
To avoid power electrocution incidents, work on 35 grid stations in the flood-affected areas had not commenced yet. These included; 25 grid stations in Balochistan, 5 each in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Two transmission lines of 220 KV of National Transmission and Dispatch Company have been affected from Sibi to Quetta and from Dadu to Khuzdar. The work on Dadu to Khuzdar transmission lines would be completed by Sunday (today) which would restore 300 MW power supply in the affected areas whereas the work on Sibi to Quetta is expected to be completed by September 10. Flood water had damaged 10 towers in these areas.
The restoration work was also in progress from Sibi to Mach transmission line.
Two supply lines of Peshawar Electric Supply Company from Chakdarra to Barikot and from Swat to Matta would be restored till September 10 whereas Madian power grid station would be restored with power supply from DaralKhwar power generation plant.