Sindh Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Monday said the recent monsoon rains and ensuing floods have devastated crops on over 4.426 million acres of land in Sindh.
Talking to the business community at Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI), Memon informed that the government was working over the three targets of rescue, relief and rehabilitation. He appreciated the business community of Hyderabad for helping the affected people by donating the relief items. The minister informed that the rains and floods had claimed 577 lives in the province including 190 men, 109 women and 217 children.
Additionally, 41,414 livestock animals had also perished, he added. He said the government felt compelled to give a cut to a part of an embankment of the Manchar Lake near Sehwan in order to save Sehwan and Bhan Saeedabad from flooding. He told that five Union Councils with an estimated population of at least 125,000 people had been affected due to the cut.
Memon also apprised that the district administration had set up a tent city near Labour Colony in the SITE area where the government was also providing free meals to the displaced people from other districts of Sindh.
The minister said a joint account was being created of HCCI and Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) to collect donations for the affected people.
He assured that the politicians would be the first to donate to that account, adding that both the HCCI and ABAD would operate that account.
“The time requires the sort of unity in the nation which was created during the 2005 earthquake,” he underlined. Memon said the people could even donate their used clothes and other items to help the displaced people. The minister said the people could seek help from Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) if they come across any difficulty in distribution of the relief goods. The office bearers and members of HCCI were present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, Administrator Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that restoration work of the roads damaged during the recent rains has been started.
“Efforts are being made to complete the repair work in the shortest possible time. Providing transportation facilities to the citizens in daily life is the first priority of the provincial government for which all available resources are being utilized,” the administrator said this while inspecting the road maintenance work during a late night visit to different areas of Karachi.
The administrator reviewed the restoration work of Mohsin Bhopali Underpass in Central District and inspected the repair work of Tipu Sultan Road in East District. He also inspected Jamaluddin Afghani Road and issued orders for its restoration.He also inspected the repair work of the road at Sea Breeze in the South District. Giving a briefing to the Administrator Karachi regarding the road maintenance work, the concerned officers said that there were serious problems in the traffic as the roads were broken but now they were being repaired.