Rain situation: CS orders institutions to maintain operational readiness

KARACHI: Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah on Monday presided over a meeting to review the prevailing rain situation and the preparedness of provincial departments, district administrations, municipal bodies and rescue agencies for the remaining monsoon period.

The Chief Secretary directed all concerned institutions to maintain full operational readiness throughout August and until the middle of September.

He said that preparations should not remain limited to the provincial or district level but must be visible and effective at the town and union council levels.

The meeting was attended in person by the Additional Chief Secretary Local Government, Secretaries of Livestock, Irrigation, Rehabilitation, Health and Information departments, Director General PDMA Sindh, Director General Rescue 1122 and Secretary Local Government Board. All divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners along with district health officers, Director General Health, mayors and representatives of HESCO and SEPCO participated through video link.

Briefing the meeting, PDMA Sindh reported that five people had lost their lives in rain-related incidents during the previous 24 hours.

Three children and a man drowned in Tharparkar, while another man died after the roof of a house collapsed in Badin.

The meeting was further informed that since the beginning of the current spell of rains on July 3, a total of 10 people, including five children, had died in different incidents, while eight others had sustained injuries.

The highest rainfall during the previous 24 hours was recorded in Kot Ghulam Muhammad Taluka of Mirpurkhas, where 112 millimetres of rain was reported. PDMA officials informed the meeting that 300 truck-mounted dewatering pumps were available, while sufficient stocks of relief items had also been maintained. Arrangements for relief camps had been made and rescue teams, dewatering machinery and other available resources had been deployed according to requirements.

The meeting was also briefed about the flow of approximately 436,000 cusecs of water through Guddu and Sukkur barrages.

The Chief Secretary directed the Irrigation Department to keep its entire field machinery operational, continuously monitor embankments, canals and other vulnerable points and take preventive measures well in time to avoid any possible breach or damage. Asif Hyder Shah directed the Secretary Local Government to ensure town-level readiness across the province.

All Town Municipal Officers must remain present at their respective stations and supervise rain emergency arrangements personally.

“TMOs and other field officers must remain available in their areas throughout the emergency. Any absence, carelessness or negligence in the discharge of duties will not be tolerated,” the Chief Secretary said.

He directed the commissioners and deputy commissioners to monitor the presence and performance of municipal officers and ensure that dewatering pumps, generators, fuel, vehicles and other necessary equipment remained functional and readily accessible.

The Chief Secretary also directed HESCO and SEPCO to improve their response mechanism during rainfall, particularly at drainage disposal and pumping stations.

He observed that prolonged power outages directly affected dewatering operations and caused rainwater to accumulate in residential and commercial areas. HESCO and SEPCO were instructed to maintain close coordination with district administrations, mayors and municipal bodies and to accord priority to the restoration of electricity at pumping and disposal stations.

The Mayor of Hyderabad informed the meeting that drains had been cleaned and dewatering machinery was available. He said Hyderabad had 128 pumping stations and around 50 generators, while additional generators could be hired during an emergency.

He, however, pointed out that generators had capacity and efficiency limitations and, therefore, a reliable electricity supply remained essential for effective drainage.

The Mayor of Sukkur reported that the situation was under control and all relevant departments were prepared.

The Mayor of Shaheed Benazirabad also briefed the meeting about the arrangements and highlighted the requirement for additional generators. The Mayor of Mirpurkhas informed the meeting that dewatering pumps had been deployed and rainwater had been drained from major roads and markets. The Mayor of Larkana stated that monsoon preparations had been completed at the union council level and teams had been assigned their respective responsibilities.

The Health Department briefed the meeting that its monsoon contingency plan covered both preventive and curative measures.

PPHI had also prepared a separate contingency plan, while government dispensaries and health facilities had been placed on standby to respond to emergencies arising from heavy rains or flooding.

The meeting was informed that anti-snake venom was available at every Taluka & district headquarters hospital. The Chief Secretary directed the Health Department to continuously monitor the availability of essential medicines, anti-snake venom and emergency staff, particularly in rural and vulnerable areas. The Livestock Department informed the meeting that monsoon standard operating procedures had been activated and an animal vaccination campaign was under way. The Chief Secretary directed the department to ensure vaccination of livestock in vulnerable areas and maintain preparedness to protect animals from diseases during rains and flooding.

He further directed that, if required, relief camps should be established in a structured and organized manner with proper arrangements for health, sanitation, drinking water and other essential facilities.

Rescue 1122 informed the meeting that district rescue teams had been deployed and were prepared to respond to any emergency. Concluding the meeting, Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah stressed that the required resources were available and that the focus must now remain on their timely mobilization and effective use. “Resources are available. What is required is clear communication, timely availability of those resources and close coordination among provincial departments, district administrations, municipal bodies, power utilities and rescue agencies,” he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026