The system of heavy rains in Sindh is showing no signs of stopping. Not only are the rains adding to the miseries of the people but they are also exposing the serious deficiencies in the performance of the district administrations in various cities of the province.
The situation was considered hopeful when the rains had only hit the coastal belt of the province but yesterday’s media reports have washed away the hopes as the rains have not been restricted to the coastline but the right bank of Indus River has also been badly affected by the continuing rains. The cities and settlements on the right side of Indus have once again been left to the mercy of the marauding rainwater.
According to reports, the rains are continuing in all four talukas of district Jamshoro that include Kotri, Manjhand, Thano Bola Khan and Sehwan Sharif. At least 200 houses have been inundated in the Budhapur, Unnarpur and Petaro areas. In Dadu district, the rains have left hundreds of telephone lines out of order besides suspending the DSL service and have wrought irreparable losses to agricultural activities.
With all this, the government authorities are not silent on the issue as they are making efforts to resolve the issues of the rain affected people, particularly for their rehabilitation by issuing Watan Cards.
Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has recently announced that Peoples Card would shortly be issued under which each rain affected family would get Rs 10,000 as assistance. Besides, Rs 100,000 would be provided to the family whose business has been finished due to the rains while Rs 200,000 would be provided to those who have lost their bread-earner.
But, the government should realise that Rs 10,000 is not a sufficient enough amount for the rain-affected families. While this small compensation can be afforded to the displaced people, the government cannot even begin to recompense people for their agricultural losses as they are so high that the government cannot afford to aid the people in that respect.
Though any natural calamity brings damage and destruction in its immediate wake, the real impact unfolds in the following days when the real magnitude of the destruction and aftermath of the disaster can be put into perspective. Dealing with the aftermath is a big ask of the people and the administrative machinery. Besides the destruction these current floods have wrought, one can expect that their adverse effects are not quite over. The prices of food items are set to become out of the approach of a common man, unemployment will further be increased, etc. The disaster, unfortunately, will not end when the rainwater recedes. Daily Kawish
– Translated from the original Sindhi by Aftab Channa
