Sindh declares 20 districts 'calamity-affected' as post-rain woes continue

The Sindh government on Saturday declared four cities of the province calamity-hit after back-to-back spells of heavy rains in August ravaged all infrastructure and left citizens' lives in peril.

According to a notification issued by the government's Relief Department, 20 districts in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad (Nawabshah) have been declared as "calamity-affected areas".

"Whereas the heavy rainfalls during monsoon season have caused loss of human life and property in various districts of the Province of Sindh, Government of Sindh, in exercise of powers vested under Section 3 of the Sindh National Calamities (Prevention & Relief) Act-1958, therefore, declares the following districts of the province as 'calamity-affected areas'," read the notification, shared by Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab.

The notification has named South, West, East, Central, Korangi and Malir districts of Karachi; nine districts in Hyderabad, namely Hyderabad, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Jamshoro, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari and Dadu; three in Mirpurkhas, namely Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar; and two in Shaheed Benazirabad, namely Shaheed Benazirabad and Sanghar.

According to the handout, the deputy commissioners of these districts shall "immediately assess specific losses and move for compensation".

Citizens' woes continue

Despite rains having come to a halt, the destruction left in their wake continued to add misery to the lives of citizens, who were still suffering from prolonged power outages and a flooding of their neighbourhood streets.

K-Electric chalked up the persistent power cuts in many areas of Karachi to water drainage still remaining an issue in many neighbourhoods of Clifton and Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

A day earlier, the power supply company had asked Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) and DHA to ensure "de-watering" is done in the aforementioned areas so that power there can be restored.

Today, after power remained shut, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah personally went over to the CBC and K-Electric offices.

He said that the entire Karachi has been declared disaster-struck after various neighbourhoods across the city's six districts had been surveyed.

Shah said experts from the irrigation department and officials from municipal corporations have been dispatched to DHA to drain out areas still waterlogged.

Sharing an update following Shah's visit, Wahab said the chief minister has directed immediate restoration of electricity and drainage of water from DHA areas.

"Commissioner Karachi has been directed to provide all possible assistance to DHA," he added.