Sindh government tells UN: Rehabilitation of 2.4 million rain-hit people to cost Rs 76 billion

KARACHI: The Sindh government has estimated an initial requirement of around Rs76 billion to rehabilitate 2.48 million rain affected people, including paying them compensation for loss of lives, houses and cattle.

This emerged in a meeting held between Sindh government representatives and United Nations Pakistan delegation which met here at the CM House. The Sindh government was represented by provincial ministers, Makhdoom Mahboob, Syed Nasir Shah, Advisor law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, SMBR Qazi Shahid Parvez, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro and Adl Secretary Fayaz Jatoi. The UN delegation members were Julien Harneis, Humanitarian Coordinator, UN Pakistan, Chris Kaye, WFP Country Director, Cristina Brugiolo, Chief Field Office Unicef, Tanvir Illahi of UNOCHA, Dr Aftab Bhatti provincial head of WFP and Imran Leghari of UNRCO.

The UN delegation was given a detailed briefing by Minister Revenue Makhdoom Mahboob, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah and SMBR Qazi Shahid Parvaiz. The delegation was told that extreme heavy rain fall was recorded in different areas of the province which caused havoc. Therefore, Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah declared 20 districts as calamity hit areas.

Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah disclosed that 136 people died due heavy rains, 86 sustained multiple injuries, 15,233 villages were badly affected, 2,488,616 people have been displaced, crops standing over 1,094,150 acres washed away, 5729 pacca houses damaged completely, 71,614 katcha houses collapsed completely, 10,504 pacca houses damaged partially, 126,674 katcha houses damaged partially and 45,961 cattle perished.

The chief secretary said that 73 bread earners died in the heavy rains and their compensation has been decided at Rs500,000 each and the amount would come to Rs36,500,000. There were 63 non-bread earners who lost their lives and their compensation would be Rs18,900,000 at the rate of Rs300,000 each.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020