Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah has declared Badin District as calamity-hit area and said remission of water charges Dhal, Abyana would be given to the affected farmers of the district. He also announced for providing compensation for the damages of houses and other properties of people in Badin district.
Addressing a gathering of IDPs who are camped at Government Boys High School Badin due to the devastation caused by heavy rains in Badin District the chief minister said that the survey of the losses in other parts of the province was also being conducted and hopefully all affected areas would be declared as calamity-hit areas.
The chief minister said that though rains are blessing of Allah but sometime this blessing turns into disaster and such natural disasters could not be avoided but losses of such disaster could be minimised as it was demonstrated in Badin District where District Administration provided rescue and relief to the affected people efficiently and promptly.
He said that PPP representing poor class of people and today poor people of Badin and other parts of Sindh were going through difficult times due to heavy rainfall and he assured that they would not be left alone. He said that the Sindh government would extend its full help to the affected people and also to mobilise NGOs and other organisations to help them in effective manner.
He said that initially District Administration Badin has established 86 relief camps where in addition to food, drinking water, medical cover and even facilities of education were being provided to the IDPs and their children. He said that he has directed the other cabinet members of the Sindh government to visit the affected areas for consolation of affected people.
Talking to media men, the chief minister said that he had visited Naukot, Kaloi, Digri and other parts of Tharparkar district and he would also visit other parts of Sindh. Undoubtedly, farmers had to suffer heavy losses of crops and other properties due to heavy rainfall, he added. Responding to a question about declaring other areas as calamity-hit areas, the chief minister said that they were assessing the losses due to heavy rains especially in Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Umerkot and other parts of the province and hopefully would declare most affected areas as calamity-hit areas.
DCO Badin, Dr Qazim Hussain Jatoi while briefing the chief minister said that about 31500 people have been internally displaced due to heavy rainfall in all 5 talukas of Badin district where 475 mm rain has been recorded. He said that these IDPs include 12000 from Badin, 15000 from Tando Bago, 3000 from Shaheed Fazil Rahu and 1500 from taluka Matli. He said that District Administration has set up 86 relief camps including 41 in Badin, 10 at Shaheed Fazil Rahu, 25 at Tando Bago and 10 at Matli taluka.
He said that in addition to cooked food, ration bags for 3 days were also being provided to IDPs. He said that medical cover, drinking water with purification tablets were also being provided to IDPs at camps. However, he said that Rs 50 million, 5 thousand tents, 100 de-watering pumping machines, 10 thousand ration bags, 50 boats are required to district administration for proper look after of IDPs and to meet any eventuality of current monsoon season in the district.