Centre to extend full support to Sindh on post-flood rehabilitation: PM

Khairpur: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the federal government would not leave the flood-affected people of Sindh in distress and would continue to take measures to mitigate their sufferings.

The prime minister, who arrived in Pir Guddu and Kot Diji towns of flood-affected Khairpur district, reviewed the pace of rehabilitation work in the wake of flash floods across the country.

In his address to the flood victims, the prime minister said the people of Sindh faced challenges of loss of lives and property as floods wreaked havoc in the province. However, he mentioned that the federal government provided utmost resources to the provincial government to help them overcome the massive problem.

He mentioned that under the Benazir Income Support Programme, the federal government disbursed Rs 70 billion among the flood victims.

He said serving the masses and their welfare of the priority of the government.

Shehbaz Sharif said the rehabilitation and reconstruction work had been completed to a large extent, however stressed that de-watering of the inundated areas of Dadu required immediate attention.

In the wake of floods, he said, 20 million people including nine million children were in severe need of assistance from the government, adding that the situation required billions of resources to address the challenges of food and medicine.

PM Sharif mentioned that Pakistan was facing the brunt of climate change despite minimal contribution to global carbon emissions.

He lauded the Rs 2.75 billion donation sent by the overseas Pakistanis for the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund and said the amount would be spent transparently for the welfare of flood-hit people.

He assured the flood-struck people that the government would construct houses for their proper accommodation. He also announced establishment of a campus of COMSATS University in Khairpur.

The prime minister also met the flood-affected people at the makeshift camps and inquired about the availability of facilities being provided by the government.

Governor Sindh Kamran Khan Tissori said the coordination between federal and the provincial governments were important in providing facilities to the flood-affected people who faced the challenges of food security and accommodation.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah mentioned the need for availability of funds for redefining and clearing the natural water courses so as to minimize the chances of floods. He also sought assistance of the federal government to help the province rectify its drainage system.

Prime Minister Sharif was given a briefing on the ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction projects being carried out in the flood-affected areas. It was highlighted that the areas be restored in line with the feasibility study following a rainfall of 2011-12 that outlined the natural water courses.

It was emphasized that majority of the land had been de-watered while electricity had been fully restored in the affected areas.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik and senior officials of the provincial government were present.