Sindh suffered Rs550b damages amid floods, rainfall: Murad
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the entire country was badly affected by floods due to incessant monsoon rains and resolved to overcome the challenge with collective efforts.
The prime minister said that the heavy downpours had caused human losses and damaged road and infrastructure across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.
During a visit to review rescue and relief operations in flood-hit areas of Faqirani Jat, Oplano and others, the prime minister was given a detailed briefing on the situation and the relief efforts. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other federal ministers also accompanied the premier.
In Swat and Kalam, flash floods had caused human and financial losses, swept away road infrastructure and bridges, and the flood was now headed towards Charsadda and Nowshehra, posing a severe threat there, he said,
He further said district administrations, rescue agencies and the armed forces had been fully supporting the rescue and relief efforts and evacuating the people to safe places and added that considerable damage was caused to the Munda dam.
Shehbaz said in the flood-affected areas, rescue and relief efforts were being carried out. “Unfortunately, huge losses were witnessed across the country, but with joint and continuous efforts, we would overcome the issues posed by the natural catastrophe.”
Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister said that he had witnessed the vast area which was inundated by flood water.
On the occasion, the prime minister also appreciated the efforts of the chief minister, administration and the armed forces for their rescue and relief operations in these areas.
Chief Minister of Sindh, briefing the Prime Minister about the damages caused by the floods, said that the estimated financial losses amount to over Rs 550 billion in the province.
Murad Shah briefed Shehbaz Sharif regarding the damages caused by devastating floods and heavy rainfall in 30 districts of Sindh in Umerkot.
Murad Ali Shah told the PM that Sindh received 308% more than the average rainfall in July while the percentage went up to 784% in August. The 2010 flood damaged the right bank of the river Indus while the 2011 floods damaged the left one, he added.
He told that Gudda and Sukkur Barrage are passing 550,000 cusec water right now, which has flooded ‘Katcha’ lands and 23 districts have been declared calamity-hit while 101 Taluqas have suffered severe damages, he added.
He added that at least 293 people have lost their lives, while 836 have suffered injuries due to floods and rainfall. An estimated 1.5 million homes have been damaged while 9197 cattle have been reported dead, he added.
The CM said that the flood has damaged crops on over 28,45,046 acres while 570 roads have been damaged due to the calamity. The amount required to repair the damaged roads is Rs 22.8 billion.
The chief secretary, director general provincial Disaster Management Authority, deputy commissioner, officials of the Pakistan Navy and other relevant authorities briefed the prime minister on the relief operations, flood situation and rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure.
