KARACHI/HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday presided over a flood emergency meeting to review preparedness measures in anticipation of high flows expected to enter Sindh between September 3 and 4 at th Guddu Barrage and forecast rains across the province.
Officials said the meeting, held at CM House, was attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Memon and Makhdoom Mahboob Zaman, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, PSCM Agha Wasif, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Secretary Rehabilitation Akhtar Bugti and PDMA DG Salman Shah.
Minister for Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro, Minister for Excise Mukesh Chawala, Minister for Irrigation Mohammad Bux Maher and Minister for Industries Jam Ikram Dharejo were assigned to supervise the flood situation and public welfare on the right and left banks. Divisional commissioners and DIGs participated in the meeting through a video link.
The irrigation minister and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) informed the CM that between Wednesday and Thursday night, water inflows ranging between 700,000 and 800,000 cusecs are expected to reach the Guddu Barrage. The CM directed the administration to remain on high alert and ensure full rescue and relief arrangements to meet any emergency.
According to the PDMA briefing, 72 rescue boats have been deployed in northern districts and 106 in southern districts, while more than 52,000 families may be affected in case of flooding.
The CM ordered the deployment of over 30,000 Rescue 1122 personnel in the northern districts and the allocation of boats across vulnerable areas: Sukkur six, Ghotki, Khairpur, Shikarpur Nasuhehroferoze, and Dadu, four, and Shaheed Benazirabad three. He also directed that rescue teams with boats be stationed from Sukkur to Dadu.
Shah was informed that the Pakistan Navy has kept 26 boats on standby to support relief operations. Reviewing the PDMA’s stock position, he was told that ample relief supplies, including mosquito nets, blankets, first-aid kits, kitchen sets, mattresses, plastic mats, portable toilets, quilts, jerry cans, sleeping mats, tents, de-watering pumps, and generators, were available for deployment.
The CM further instructed the PDMA and district administrations to get ready to establish more than 500 camps along river embankments to protect affected communities and livestock. “In case of a major flood wave, not a single life -- human or animal -- should be lost,” he stressed.
Keeping in view the vulnerability, the CM decided to visit the Guddu Barrage and Sukkur Barrage to witness the preparedness and took an aerial view of all the vulnerable embankments of the River Indus.
He was apprised that in the event of a very high flood, over 50,000 families could be displaced. Shah directed that full readiness be ensured and that necessary heavy machinery also be arranged from the private sector if required.
Kotri situation
In view of the possible flood threat in Sindh, a meeting on the downstream situation of the Kotri Barrage was held in Hyderabad with Sindh Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Syed Riaz Hussain Shah Shirazi, who is also the government’s focal person for flood emergencies, in the chair.
The meeting was attended by Pakistan Peoples Party’s divisional president Aajiz Dhamrah, MNA Sadiq Ali Memon, Hyderabad PPP President Tariq Ali Shah Jamot, Adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister Jabbar Khan, MPA Dr Sikandar Ali Shoro, Tanveer Haider Shah Shirazi, Madad Ali Shah Kazmi and Ghulam Nabi Babar.
The Kotri Barrage chief engineer, Hyderabad Commissioner Fayaz Abbasi, Hyderabad deputy commissioner and irrigation department officials also participated in the meeting. The participants reviewed the downstream situation at the Kotri Barrage and discussed protective measures and emergency strategies to ensure the safety of people living nearby.
It was decided that immediate and effective steps would be taken and all departments would remain on alert to respond promptly to any potential flood danger. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Shirazi said he and Muhammad Ali Malkani had been designated as focal persons for the flood affairs downstream of Kotri.
He said the water released by India a week ago was flowing down through Punjab and it would become clear at Panjnad within two days how much water would eventually arrive in Sindh. He explained that necessary arrangements had already been completed on the embankments and the inflow from eastern rivers had not yet reached Panjnad.
He recalled that the flood of 2010 was a super flood during which embankments were raised by six feet. He pointed out that millions of people lived in the katcha (riverine) areas who would be most affected in case of flood.
He noted that if 500,000 cusecs of water arrived in Sindh, around 95 per cent of the katcha area would be inundated. Precautionary arrangements had been completed at three critical points, including Sarjani and Bonarki, Shirazi added. He also warned that if the Kotri Barrage received more than 500,000 cusecs of water, large parts of Tando Muhammad Khan and Sujawal districts could face floods.
