CJP seeks reports on measures taken so far: addressing woes of calamity-hit people in Sindh

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Monday that miseries of recent calamity-hit people in Sindh were multiplying which should be addressed immediately to give them a sigh of relief. However, he asked the concerned provincial authorities and Attorney General of Pakistan to submit their reports on measures taken to address financial and mental woes of calamity-hit people so far.
A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Ghulam Rabbani was hearing a petition filed by a former MNA, Marvi Memon, containing documentary evidence about non-implementation of the Flood Inquiry Commission's report. The Attorney General for Pakistan and Advocate-General of Sindh appeared before the bench and presented a joint report of Provincial Disaster Management Authority in the court.
The Chief Justice observed that as a result of recent rains in Sindh bumper cotton crop has been damaged whereas there was no chance to cultivate wheat in the province due to standing water in the fields, and added that it was time to reduce the miseries of the flood-hit people through practical measures instead of preparing reports. The CJP said that 7.1 million people were affected by floods who could be helped by pumping out standing water from the flood-hit areas as soon as possible. The Attorney General informed the bench that 6.9 million flood-hit people were provided rations in Sindh so far.
The Sindh Advocate General apprised the bench that the joint report included summary of losses due to rain in Sindh including the number of disturbed people, damaged crops, and added that efforts were being made to provide medical relief and other facilities to the flood-hit areas' dwellers. He said that one of the major reasons of devastation in Sindh was encroachment in different localities of the province, which blocked the natural waterways.
It is worth mentioning that the Flood Inquiry Commission had released a comprehensive report on June 7 in pursuance of the court orders and the SC directed the federal and provincial governments to ensure implementation of the recommendations of the Commission and to take strict action against departments whose negligence had caused billions of rupees losses to national kitty.
In pursuance of SC orders Flood Inquiry Commission report was released on June 7 which recommended strict action against departments who failed in delivering during devastating flood in 2010. Later, Marvi submitted documentary evidence in the court over non-implementation of the Flood Commission report, with the plea to seek report from the provincial and federal government on the implementation status of the report's recommendation which the SC rejected and expressed annoyance over lacklustre performance of both governments. The bench directed the concerned authorities to submit report giving recent measures to reduce the miseries of rain affected people in Sindh on the next hearing. The court adjourned hearing for ten days.