Daily Times

KARACHI: Former president and Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has directed Sindh Senior Minister for Information and Irrigation Nisar Ahmed Khuhro to utilise all available resources for the safety of the people amid heavy rains and floods in coming days.

The embankments should be closely monitored and the officials concerned must ensure that “no breech occurs that might jeopardise lives of the locals and [damage]
their property”. to the senior minister over the phone, Asif Ali Zardari asked Khuhro to expedite efforts for relief and rehabilitation of those affected by heavy rains and floods.

He also laid stress on consolidated and collective efforts for taking care of the people. Nisar Ahmed Khuhro informed the PPP co-chairman about the overall situation in Sindh after the heavy showers, besides the rising of water level in rivers and barrages.

He informed him that he was personally monitoring the situation, especially the condition of embankments.

PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari asked the Sindh senior minister to keep up with his untiring efforts until the entire situation gets normalised and that he should also gear up the relief and rehabilitation process for the rain-affected people, besides the shifting of those living in danger zones to safer locations.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Saturday took aerial view of KK, Thori and other dykes along with irrigation officials on Saturday.

While talking to the media later at Guddu Barrage, he said that by August 3,800,000 cusecs of floodwater would pass through Guddu Barrage. “Even if up to 1 million cusecs of water passes through, these dykes will bear the pressure,” he said.

Irrigation Secretary Zaheer Haider Shah told him that 729,000 cusecs of water was passing through Guddu Barrage at the moment, which would increase to 800,000 cusecs by August 3. Shah claimed that people living in katcha areas had been shifted to safer places where basic necessities of life had been provided to them.

He said that stones, heavy machinery and other required material had already reached all the sensitive points of Indus River. “We are prepared to face any eventual emergency situation.”

Shah said that irrigation officials were constantly monitoring the situation round the clock, and added that all elected members were with the flood-affected people in their respective areas and they were monitoring dykes in their districts as well.

Shah further said that the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and the Rehabilitation Department were also working day and night for the safety of the people. Shah was accompanied by MNA Ahsan Mazari, MPA Abid Sundrani, Larkana DIGP Saeen Rakhio Mirani, Gul Muhammad Jakhrani, Fida Mirani and others.