PakistanNews.com.pk

KARACHI, Aug 14: As many as 3.7 million people have been affected owing to the floods in the province of Sindh so far while the losses are tentatively estimated at about Rs. 30 billion which may go up to Rs. 40 billion. This was stated by the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, while addressing a press conference at the CM House here on Saturday.

He said that because of the rescue operation launched by the Government of Sindh in collaboration with the Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force as well as Rangers, lakhs of people were shifted to the safer places.
The Chief Minister said that the death toll remained at 11 in the province due to the floods as the main attention of the government of Sindh was to save the lives of the people.
Qiam Ali Shah described the losses owing to floods in the province as ‘colossal’ and ‘unprecedented’.
He said that the task of rehabilitation has been quite a challenging one.
The Chief Minister said that 618 relief camps have been established in every district and that each one has some 700 to 1,200 people.
He said that 2,600 flood affectees have been temporarily rehabilitated in Karachi’s Razaqabad area. Some 1.000 more have been provided temporary lodging at the flats of the Workers Welfare Board.
Some more would also come.
Qaim Ali Shah said that a ‘tent village’ would also be set up in Hyderabad where 1,000 tents would be erected.
He stated that the Government of Sindh has allocated Rs. 10 billion towards the rescue and rehabilitation.
Chief Minister said that we want to divert the flood water to Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) beqacuse of its considerable capacity forwater intake.
He stated that 17 districts in the province of Sindh have been declared as calamity hit areas.
Qaim Ali Shah said that the government has so far distributed 150,000 bags of food among the flood affectees.
He stated that Ms. Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari has donated 6,000 bags of food to the province of Sindh as she has also donated such bags to other provinces in the country.
Chief Minister said that these are big bags which contain food for 10 to 15 days for a family and contain Atta, rice, ghee, sugar and tea etc.
Chief Minister pointed out that the rehabilitation work is a colossal one and that the provincial government has diverted its budget also.
He said that he desires that the well to do people and philanthropists should also help the flood affectees.
Qaim Ali Shah said that the Chief Minister’s Flood Relief Fund has been established for which Rs. 10 billion have been allocated.
He reiterated that a huge sum of money is required for the flood affectees.
Chief Minister said that another peak of flood water would reach Guddu tonight which would be between 900,000 cusecs to one million cusecs.
He said that the government has chalked out a strategy to deal with the situation.
Qaim Ali Shah praised the assistance of Pakistan Army, Navy, Air Force and the Rangers.
He said that the Irrigation Department has pinpointed 82 points on the right bank which may cause leakage and 72 such points have been identified on the Left Bank.
“ We have done our best”, the Chief Minister Sindh further remarked.
Replying a question, he opposed the construction of Kalabagh dam saying that this will make Sindh ‘barren’.
Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Information, Jamil Ahmed Soomro, Special Assistant, Waqar Medhi, Sindh Information Secretary, Syed Mumtaz Shah, were also present on the occasion.

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