Dire straits in flood-hit Sindh

The condition in eight flood-hit districts of Sindh has become dire with no chance of an end to persistent rainfall in the next few days that has killed more than 200 people and displaced hundreds of thousands in the country’s southern-most province.
Another 20 people were killed by roof collapses and viral disease as a result of rain and floods on Sunday in Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Sanghar, Tharparkar, Badin and Tando Muhammad Khan. Thousands of displaced people have been affected by malaria, skin conditions and abdominal diseases in the flood-hit areas.
Meanwhile, on orders from the Sindh chief minister, the district administrations were supervising the strengthening of dykes and banks of the LBOD and the construction of a ring dyke surrounding the city of Mirpurkhas to save it from floodwaters. Even as efforts to secure the LOBD were underway, small breaches developed in the drain near the village of Bachal Maher and overflows were reported near Lohi Mori in Hussain Bux Mari taluka.
The railway tracks from Mirpurkhas to Nawabshah and Chore were completely inundated, resulting in a passenger train coming to Mirpurkhas from Hyderabad being stopped near the city. The Thar Express, another train coming to Mirpurkhas from Khokhrapar after dropping the passengers going to India through the Khokhrapar-Monabao border, was also stopped near the city but later proceeded to Mirpurkhas on the submerged tracks very slowly, reaching the city in two hours and with leaving for Karachi immediately afterwards. Acute shortage of general commodities and food items was also reported in Mirpurkhas, with many stores grossly overcharging for whatever goods were left in the city.
Reports said Digri, Jhuddo, Tando Jan Mohammad and Naokot Town and villages in the surrounding areas had been flooded by four to five feet of water and people were migrating to safer areas on foot because with no rescuers or means of transportation.
Thousands of villagers are sill stranded in the inundated areas, waiting for the army or the district administration to rescue them. Owing to closure of transportation routes from Mirpurkhas to the affected towns and villages, relief rations have not been distributed among the flood victims for the last three days.
Meanwhile in Badin district, several cities are at risk of flooding as water level in the saline nullah of Badin is rising. People in Shadi Laraj, Pangairo and Malkani Sharif have been told to evacuate. An unknown number of people are still stranded in the flooded villages of the district. The district administration has also ordered emergency evacuation in Khoski, however the people are at the mercy of fate since no arrangements have been made by the state for the evacuations it has ordered.
The National Disaster Management Authority has earmarked Rs 1.5 billion for rescue and relief efforts in the flood-hit areas, which will soon reach Rs 7 to 8 billion.