QUETTA/LAHORE - Thousands of flood and rain affected people in Balochistan, Sindh and southern Punjab are still awaiting government aid, while epidemics have gripped various areas adding to the miseries of the devastated people.
Our Staffer Bari Baloch reported the destruction by unprecedented floods was continuing in Jaffarabad, Naseerabad, Jhal Magsi Dera Allayar, Dera Murad Jamali and other areas of Balochistan, where floods had inundated more low-lying areas, forcing the people to leave their homes.
Sources said that nine more dead bodies were recovered in Gott Shah Nawaz Bugti on Tuesday, raising the death toll to 108, thought officials put the figure of those killed at just 28. They said dozens of other people were still missing in Jaffarabad district.
Sources said that the situation in Jaffarabad district was becoming serious as a huge torrent had entered the district from neighbouring areas of Sindh raising the water level in Dera Allayar and other areas to six to feet. The situation has been described as desperate as floodwater is spread all around in fields, streets and roads.
Most of the affected areas were still disconnected with rest of the country which has hindered initiation of relief activities and stranded people on self-help basis have started moving to safer places. Due to non availability of food and commodities and clean drinking water, stranded people were forced to consume unhygienic food and polluted water which has resulted in spread of epidemics such as diarrhoea and gastroenteritis.
The army and the Frontier Corps have launched rescue efforts and have been shifting flood affectees to safer areas in helicopters and boats and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority is sending relief goods to the affected area, but the affectees are not satisfied with the slow pace of the rescue and relief operations.
The Commander of the Southern Command, Lt-Gen Muhammad Alam Khan Khattak, along with Balochistan Chief Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad, took an aerial view of the flood-hit areas of Nasirabad and Jaffarabad the other day. Many districts of southern Punjab including Rajanpur were adversely affected as heavy rains and consequent floods in nullahs inundated their houses, besides destroying thousands of acres of cultivated lands. In Sandela area of Shah Jamal, due to breech in Saim canal, water entered residential areas causing collapse of roofs and walls of many houses.
Meanwhile, the Met Office on Tuesday predicted scattered rain and thundershower in Kashmir, Upper Punjab, Upper KP and Gilgit-Baltistan in next 24 hours; whereas, hot and dry weather is expected elsewhere in the country.