By Bhaee Khan Muhammad Tahir

Residents of Dadu, Mehr and Johi were trying to protect ring dykes in their tehsils in order to save the area from floodwater as deluge turned to the already flood-hit area on Friday.

“70% of Pakistan is inundated,” Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman said while addressing a seminar in Islamabad on Thursday where she described the recent heavy rains as “monstrous” that have killed 432 people in Sindh since mid-June.

The flash floods driven by heavy rains have drowned the whole Khairpur Nathan Shah tehsil, one of the four tehsils of Dadu district. Estimates showed that 70% of Johi, including rural and urban areas, 60% of Mehr and 30% of Dadu are flooded.

Locals in the main Dadu tehsil fear that the water would enter populated areas after hitting the suburbs.

“This time nobody knew what to do,” Sherry said while comparing the relief efforts and situation with the 2008 earthquake and 2010 floods. “As now you have to evacuate people without the helicopter after a while we had to send in the navy boats which are still inside parts of Sindh and Balochistan.”

The climate change minister added that such parts did not lie in coastal areas. “The water is standing. It is not going anywhere. There is no way for it to drain. It is just too much. It is 10 feet deep in many areas and it is not evaporated.”

The Dadu administration has issued a red alert and advised the people to shift to safe locations, which for now were highways.

Many flood victims have complained that they were not getting clean water and food, adding that the administration was not there.

They claimed that private ship owners, who have started providing service to the people for taking belongings from affected areas, were charging high fees. They claimed that the police were involved in it.

At least 986,101 houses were damaged – out of the total 1,172,549 – in Sindh, showed the National Disaster Management Authority data.

Pakistan has received nearly 190% more rain than the 30-year average in the quarter from June to August, totalling 390.7mm (15.38 inches).

Sindh, with a population of 50 million, has been the hardest hit, getting 466% more rain than the 30-year average.

Some parts of the province look like an inland sea with only occasional patches of trees or raised roads breaking the surface of the murky flood waters.

Hundreds of families have taken refuge on roads, the only dry land in sight for many of them.

PM Shehbaz assures GB flood victims of support

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has assured the flood-stricken people that the government would not leave them alone until all of the families were rehabilitated.

The prime minister, in an interaction with the flood-affected people of Ghizar’s Boebar village, expressed condolence over the loss of lives and properties.

Officials said that floods had killed 17 people and damaged 249 houses in the village. Moreover, 794 animals and several orchards were also washed away during the calamity.

The prime minister assured the victims of the government’s all-out support for their relief and rehabilitation. “The government is making all-out efforts to ease the difficulties being faced by the people in flood-ravaged areas.”

PM Shehbaz also distributed cheques among the flood-affected people of Shisper Glacier of Hunza at a ceremony held at Gilgit airport.

He handed over cheques of Rs800,000 each among nine people whose houses were completely destroyed during the floods and Rs500,000 each among six people whose houses were partially damaged.