Local authorities mobilised across Sindh, minister informs CM as heavy rainfall wreaks havoc

Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani on Sunday informed Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah that local authorities across the province had been mobilised as various districts saw heavy rainfall a day ago.

Widespread heavy rains across most districts of interior Sindh on Friday night and Saturday wreaked havoc on the electricity network and drainage system, causing heavy flooding in both urban and rural areas alike.

As per a forecast by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), heavy downpours and thunderstorms are expected across Sindh till tomorrow (Monday).

According to an update issued by the PMD’s Flood Forecasting Division at 8am, in the last 24 hours, Khairpur received the highest amount of rainfall (169 millimetres) with Larkana ranking second (123mm).

Rohri and Mohenjo Daro each witnessed 119mm of rain while Sukkur received 100mm and Jacobabad 99mm. Dadu (75mm), Mirpurkhas (35mm), Padidan (31mm) and Chhor (24mm) were among other areas to see heavy showers.

Presiding over a high-level rain emergency meeting at CM House on Sunday morning, Murad noted that heavy rains in Sukkur, Dadu, Jacobabad, and Naushahro Feroze had inundated roads and streets there.

Therefore, effective measures must be taken to protect the life and property of the people, and then dewatering efforts should be made, he added.

“I want to see the entire government machinery — including district administration [and] local bodies, particularly in the rain-affected areas — working on the roads, helping people, and the irrigation department patrolling on the embankments of the canals and distributaries to avoid breaches,” CM Murad said.

The meeting was attended by Ghani, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Sindh Transport Minister Sharjeel Memon, Advisor Najmi Alam, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Local Govt Secretary Khalid Hyder Shah and Health Secretary Rehan Baloch.

Salman Shah, director general of the Sindh Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Rangers DG Major Gen Azhar Waqas, Corps Headquarters and Komkar representatives, and Weather Director Ameer Hyder, among others, were also present in the meeting.

Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Sukkur Mayor Arsalan Shaikh, commissioners of Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas, and their deputy commissioners attended the meeting via video link.

Ghani informed the CM that he had activated the local bodies all over Sindh and provided them with the necessary facilities to work properly in the rain-affected areas.

Sukkur Commissioner Fayaz Abbasi briefed the chief minister that out of four spells of heavy rains in his district, three spells had been dealt with by clearing the roads and low-lying areas within three to four hours, while the rainwater from the fourth spell was being dealt with.

CM Murad was further briefed that the PDMA has provided 35 diesel engines, eight dewatering machines, and 12 tractor-mounted machines, as well as two mirage trucks for dewatering mud pumps.

Regarding losses, the CM was informed that 21 persons sustained injuries, five buffaloes perished, and 48 houses were damaged.

PDMA DG Salman Shah informed the CM that 26,150 tents, 80,750 mosquito nets, 25,650 ‘chataais’, 12,300 cotton mattresses, 12,900 synthetic sleeping mats, 7,700 hygiene kits and 25,750 jerry cans had been sent to the rain-affected areas to provide relief to the people.

Larkana Commissioner Mustafa Phul and his Hyderabad counterpart Bilal Memon listed the measurements of the rainfall that various districts had received in the past 24 hours.

Senior Minister Shrajeel Memon informed the CM that he was in close coordination with the Hyderabad administration and had activated all the concerned departments to address any rain-related emergency.

All the divisional commissioners complained against Hesco and Sepco for power outages at the pumping station feeders, due to which water disposal was being affected badly.

At this, the CM directed Sindh Energy Minister Nasir Shah to communicate with the power distribution companies and instruct them to free the pumping stations from load-shedding and other interruptions.

Meanwhile, Irrigation Secretary Zarif Khero briefed the CM about the flood situation, specifically focusing on the floods of the Kirthar ranges, whose catchments are located in Balochistan.

In Balochistan, these catchments are ungauged, complicating the flood forecast for the right bank of the Indus in Sindh during yearly monsoons.

However, referring to the historic gauges and predicted rainfall, Khero said that the existing infrastructure could hold the forecasted floods. At this, the CM directed the irrigation department to shift the headquarters of the right bank to the vulnerable areas and personally monitor the flood situations.