The Sindh government announced on Saturday that it would spend Rs 5 billion on rescue and relief efforts for the rain-hit people of the province.
“The federal government will also be requested to contribute the same amount for them,” provincial Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon told the media.
The decision was made at a meeting held at the Sindh Chief Minister’s House.
President Asif Ali Zardari had contacted Qaim Ali Shah from Dushanbe, Tajkistan on Friday evening and issued orders to use the required resources on rescue and relief activities.
Briefing the media about the meeting, Memon said that the government has constituted committees including elected members of assemblies and senators, who would oversee rescue and relief activities in their respective districts.
He said that around 878 relief camps have been set up where medical facilities are available as well.
“The government will also issue Watan Cards to the rain-hit people and initially provide Rs 10,000 to each affected family,” he said.
The minister said that the government is conducting a survey to ascertain the losses. “According to initial reports, around 46 people have died and over two million have been affected in the province,” he said.
“Around 27 talukas including 185 union councils, 9,357 villages and at least 0.6 million houses have been affected in the torrential rains. Some 2.4 million acres of agriculture land has also been affected, including standing crop damaged over 0.6 million acres,” he added.
The minister said that there has been more rain this time compared to last year.
