If health emergency is not immediately implemented in Sindh, a huge human tragedy will be born: Civil Society

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Hyderabad: 06 September 2022 , Prominent intellectuals, writers, agriculture and irrigation experts, social leaders and human rights workers of Sindh have condemned the government's negligence for the unprecedented destruction of rains and floods in the province, the displacement of millions of people, hundreds of deaths, and the destruction of all roads, lands and properties. It has been declared and demanded that a health emergency should be immediately implemented in the province and adequate food and medical facilities should be provided to the disaster-affected people, otherwise a major human tragedy may occur.
These views were expressed in an emergency meeting under the auspices of SAFCO to discuss the entire situation and future strategy related to rain and flood disasters in Sindh. Former Advocate General and Supreme Court Bar leader Yusuf Laghari, SAFCO Founder Suleiman G. Abro, Intellectual Jami Chandio, HRCP Regional Coordinator Imdad Chandio, Professor Muhammad Ismail Kunbhar, Haleem Magsi, Ms. Shahnaz Sheedi, Mustafa Baloch, Javed Soz Halai, Haseen Musrat, Marvi Awan, Zahida Abro, Mahesh Kumar, Farooq Soomro, Ishaq Mangrio, Dr. Hameed Soomro, Ramesh Gupta and others spoke.
They said that there is no example of such a disaster in Sindh, which has completely destroyed the agricultural economy and infrastructure of Sindh, 4 million acres of agricultural land and the crops standing on it were destroyed, thousands of cattle were killed, Small businesses, schools, hospitals, roads, bridges have been destroyed, so much destruction has taken place, which has not yet been properly estimated. Sindh's agricultural economy and infrastructure has been completely destroyed, the losses are increasing day by day. He said that a huge budget is kept for LBOD every year but due to lack of cleaning, water kept flowing over the bridges.
In this civil society meeting, a 'Civil Society Watch Forum' was also established to monitor the conditions of the flood victims and government performance.
Addressing the meeting, Yusuf Laghari said that the decision of the Supreme Court to end the encroachment on the natural waterways could not be implemented, against which we should go to the Supreme Court with the statistics of the flood damage from this forum. . And the court should bind the government to a time frame as to when these occupations will be removed.
Jami Chandev said that there is a lot of pressure on Hyderabad and surrounding areas by the displaced people, through this forum the Commissioner Deputy Commissioner should be invited, get information about their work and make them aware of the issues. We should visit the camps together in an organized manner, first visit the officially declared camp to hear the problems of the victims and give suggestions to the government to solve them. He said that there is a high probability of death of children and women due to mosquitoes, diseases and lack of medical treatment, so there is a need to start a series of medical camps and provide medical supplies, while separate camps should be set up for women. . He said that the officers will not receive phone calls from common people, so a helpline mechanism should be made from this forum, where flood affected people can contact and seek help. Apart from this, arrangements should be made to inform the media about the situation.
Suleman G. Abro said that this disaster was caused only by monsoon floods, while the risk of flooding in the river is different. Due to its geographical position, Sindh has become a source of water for the entire country. Lakhs of acres of land have already been destroyed by LBOD and RBOD, water from sugar mills, water from beans. He said that in the 55-year history of Sindh, there was no such heavy rain, due to the lack of cooperation and communication between government agencies including NDMA and PDMA, no preparations were made beforehand, that is the reason. That there is so much damage.
Dr. Ismail Kunbhar said that this disaster is happening due to the blocking of natural water channels, the rains started from June 20 but the government did not take any necessary steps. If the standing water on the land is not drained, then wheat cannot be cultivated and after two months, a serious crisis may arise regarding food security, while the land will lose its fertility. He said that to overcome the food crisis, the government should increase trade with neighboring countries and import green vegetables and grains at cheap prices. He added that there should be immediate planning for communication and management of the camp to train people on how to live there and how to deal with the situation.
He said that if the top government representatives will inspect the dams themselves, then what will happen to the rest of the government system, they should take the report from the authorities and take decisions.
He said that a large number of people are sitting on the streets, they should be given immediate shelter and proper assistance, and they cannot just live on a plate of biryani. He said that on top of this calamity there is a possibility of another calamity in Sindh. In view of the situation, we demand from this forum that health emergency should be imposed in Sindh and food and treatment should be arranged for the people immediately. Ms. Shahnaz Sheedi, Dr. Hameed Soomri, Javed Souz, Haseen Musrat and others also spoke on this occasion. He said that 70% of health facilities are closed in Sindh. While many people who reach the camps, educational institutions, roads and embankments are suffering from diseases, looking at the condition of the flood victims, it can be estimated that they are under psychological stress due to the trauma, the government should also pay attention to this. . He said that Mohan Jo Daro has been severely damaged due to rain, 12 walls of which have collapsed. The government should also take steps to protect this global heritage.

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