5,875 people, 30,000 livestock shifted from katcha areas, DC Matiari tells Sindh ministers

HYDERABAD: Provincial Minister for Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro, Provincial Minister for Energy, Planning & Development Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, and Member of the Provincial Assembly and Special Assistant to the Chief Minister, Makhdoom Fakhar Zaman, visited the sensitive points of the Indus River in district Matiari, where Deputy Commissioner Matiari, Muhammad Yousuf Shaikh, gave them a detailed briefing.

The Deputy Commissioner stated that the administration’s top priority is to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property. So far, 5,875 people and over 30,000 livestock have been shifted from the katcha areas to safe locations. Initially, 12 relief camps have been established by the district administration, while in view of possible emergencies, 110 camps have also been identified. However, no one has yet moved into these camps as most people are staying with their relatives by choice.

The DC further informed that 16 medical camps have been established by the health department along the embankments of the Indus River, and mobile medical teams are also active. So far, 28,564 people have received medical treatment. The livestock department has set up 3 fixed camps and 3 mobile units at Kalyan, Bhanoth, and Badar Lakho embankments, through which 49,850 animals have been treated and vaccinated. Similarly, the agriculture and poultry production department has vaccinated and treated over 8,000 domestic birds and poultry farms.

He added that other departments have also set up relief camps where treatment facilities are being provided not only to people but also to their livestock and poultry. Additionally, three boats have been provided to each taluka for emergency situations, and the services of the Pakistan Navy will also be availed if required. Life jackets, divers, and necessary transport have also been ensured to deal with any unforeseen situation in time.

The DC said that guidance camps have been established on the protective embankments of the Indus River in all three talukas of the district, where concerned officials are present to give people confidence that the district administration stands with them in this difficult time.

Executive Engineer (XEN) Irrigation Hala Division, Pir Salahuddin, briefed that the total length of the Indus River within Matiari district is 49 miles. At present, except for some historically sensitive points, only two sites – Bhanoth (7/135) and Hala Purana (3/142) – are slightly weak. However, there is no cause for concern as, after the 2010 floods, not only were the weak points of the embankments strengthened, but the height was also raised by three feet, stone pitching was done, and the width of the embankments was increased to withstand the pressure of any future flood. Strengthening of old spurs and construction of new ones has further reduced pressure on the embankments.

Expressing satisfaction over the briefing at Bhanoth embankment, the provincial ministers said that the leadership of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party, along with the entire machinery of the Sindh Government, is fully mobilized and that the people’s government will never abandon its people. They directed the concerned officials to immediately shift those residing within the riverbed to safer places and ensure strict monitoring of the embankments.

The provincial ministers further said that the Sindh Government will extend every possible assistance to the affected people.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025