The people of Sindh face an onslaught of natural calamities each year, and each year the story is the same. Countless homes are lost, children die or go missing, livestock is decimated. Alongside natural disasters, manmade hazards have brought about a new set of problems that have destroyed the entire ecosystem. Dadu district is vulnerable to natural disasters caused by downhill water stream from Kirthar range, heavy rainfalls, and flooding in the Indus River. 

Another persistent source of frequent flooding is the poor maintenance of agricultural drainage systems. A 100-feet wide rupture in the Kalach branch in Garhi Khero, Jacobabad, deluged thousands of acres of fields, destroying rice crops and causing huge financial losses to farmers. According to locals, had the authorities warned them beforehand, much of the damage could have been avoided. Moreover, the rural population depends on agriculture and livestock. The major agricultural crops of Sindh are sugarcane, rice, wheat, bananas, dates, mangoes, cotton etc.

Over, the years, locals have only seen an increase in their daily struggle. The government must respond to the plight of these people.

SARFRAZ SOOMRO,

Shikarpur.