KARACHI: After weeks of rescue and relief operation following the devastation of floods in Sindh, the provincial administration on Thursday announced launching of a survey to assess the damage caused by the disaster in the province.

The authorities believe that the exercise that will be carried out with the assistance of the federal government and the Pakistan Army will involve thousands of workers and could take a couple of months to complete.

The fresh development came at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput at Sindh Secretariat.

Senior member Board of Revenue Bahaullah Unnar, chairman of the planning and development board Syed Hasan Naqvi, finance secretary Sajid Jamal Abro, local government secretary Syed Najam Ahmad Shah, general administration secretary Muhammad Hanif Channa and representatives of Army and Suparco as well as officials of NDMA and PDMA participated in the meeting.

District supervisory committees formed for door-to-door visits

“A joint survey will be conducted to estimate the damage in the flood-affected areas,” said a statement issued after the meeting.

“The district administration, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and army personnel will be involved in the survey. For the joint survey, district supervisory committees have also been formed which will go door to door in the affected areas and assess the loss of life and property.”

The statement added that in the first phase, the survey would be started in Sukkur, Ghotki and Kandhkot-Kashmore districts whereas the exercise would be conducted next in other districts where floodwater is being drained out.

The joint survey, it added, would start from September 26 for which deputy commissioners would utilise all resources and use micro planning and geotagging technology.

“The joint survey is necessary for a comprehensive plan for the rehabilitation of the affected people. A pro forma has been prepared by the NDMA on which all details of the damage will be incorporated,” said the statement.

‘17 more deaths reported’

Meanwhile, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that more than one committee could be set up in a union council considering the scale of damage.

In a statement issued here, he said that a monitoring cell had also been set up under the chairmanship of the deputy commissioner concerned.

“As per recent reports, 17 more deaths have been reported from the flood-affected areas and the number has risen to 724,” he said.

“Similarly, 8,422 people have been injured due to recent rains and floods. Loss of 23,312 livestock is reported and the total number of cattle killed due to rains or floods have reached 313,509. We have reports of 1,061,776 houses which have been partially damaged in floods and rains, while 720,749 have completely collapsed.”

He said a population of around 11 million or 2,127,311 families had been affected while over seven million people had been displaced.

He said that the relief activities were under way in the affected areas, and so far the flood affected people had been provided 284,625 tents, 247,512 plastic tarpaulins, 2,254,495 mosquito nets, 26,740 sleeping mats, 746,212 litres of mineral water, 34,034 kitchen sets, 7,000 first-aid kits, 15,430 cattle mosquito nets and other relief items.

He said that 736,949 families had been given ration bags.

He said that the Sindh government would continue the relief operations and the government of the Pakistan Peoples Party was committed to helping people and would not take rest until rehabilitation of all displaced people.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2022