Rain Hit Tharparkar, Umerkot & Mirpurkhas Districts Update August 14, 2011 by AWARE

Introduction: The current wave of the torrential monsoon rains that started on Wednesday in different districts of lower Sindh and continued for more than 50 hours constantly have caused huge loss of residential areas, standing crops and infrastructure in Thatta, Badin, Tharparkar, Umerkot and Mirpurkhas districts.

Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) breaching from different points caused further loss in the wide area of Badin, Tharparkar and Mirpurkhas districts, where reports suggest that farmers will suffer huge loss and it will need more resources; time and money to rehabilitate the area.

The reports of these losses in Umerkot and Tharparkar Districts collected by AWARE teams during its assessment reveal that crops like cotton, sugarcane, paddy, chilies, tomato and other vegetables standing on wide areas in these monsoon-hit districts, specially in Taluka Samaro, Kunri, Jhudo and two UCs of Taluka Diplo are more than 80% destroyed.

In Taluka Kot Ghulam out of seven union councils of Kot Ghulam Mohammad six are worst affected and due to breaches in Daleri Minor, Jorasar, Puran and Deengan canals more than 90% crops are damaged/underwater.

The heavy rains caused huge losses in Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar and there is need of relief operation in these districts for which relief goods including tents, food item, medicine, cereal and also motor pumps to dewater the rainwater from monsoon-hit areas are needed.

Kunri, one of the major chili markets in South Asia, Samaaro, Nabisar Road, Jhudo, Kaloi, Bitharo and some areas of Mithi & Diplo are worst hit areas where his organization is starting the relief operation. AWARE teams started collecting the actual losses and soon will issue the final report of these areas.

While some of the team that already rushed to these worst hit areas in these districts and found poor response of the Government to help the people at this difficult time. The government has only initiated a plan to provide food to around 30,000 people in the registered relief camps, set up in towns of said four Districts. But the irony is that hundreds of people are still stranded in the rain-affected areas, especially breaches in drains have caused widely displacement in Badin, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot districts. More than 50 villages and prosperous towns Kaloi, Pangrio, Jhudo, Samaro and others have come under the drain water and residents are finding no way out to shift their families.

It is the worst situation in the affected areas of Badin, which received 400 millimeter rain and in Diplo Taluka 492 mm rain received and still are forecasts of more rains in the area. There is no camp management mechanism. Government’s response is very poor from the entire area. There are more damages in the areas, especially farmers and herdsmen faced huge loss.

Tharparkar District: • There are two UCs of Taluka Diplo; Kaloi and Bhitaro worst affected and there more than 100 villages are inundated • These both UCs fall in barrage area and crops have been damaged entirely • Inhabitants have been compelled to migrate to sandy areas • More than 2500 families are displaced • As per Emergency Cell of District Govt Tharparkar there are 46 relief camps established so far and there are more than 10,000 people hosted. • In said 46 relief camps local as well as people migrated from nearest Districts; Mirpurkhas and Badin are staying. • Revenue Department is in process of conducting the detailed assessment. Immediate Need: • FIs, shelter, safe drinking water and medicines are required

Umerkot District: • Three Taluka; Samarao, Kunri and Pithoro are worst affected. So far three causalities and 23 injuries recorded by media. • Samaro Taluaka: four UCs out of five are worst affected and as per initial assessment of Revenue Department; 5360 households are damaged. Eight injuries recorded so far. • Kunri: Out of seven, six UCs are inundated and crop chilly is destroyed. Over all 90% crops are damaged. Roads network developed cracks and breaches and ditches have disconnected the area from rest of District/country. • Pithoro: In Shadi Palli area five injuries recorded due to collapse of a building. The crops are under water. Immediate Needs: • FIs, shelter, safe drinking water and medicines are required along motors for dewatering.

Mirpurkhas District: • Two Taluka; Jhudo and Kot Ghulam Mohammad are among worst affected area. • Kot Ghulam Mohammad: Out of eight UCs seven are affected due to heavy rains and breaches in canals and outfall drainage. • Breaches were witnessed at KGM canal, Daleri Minor, Feeder canal, Deengan and Jawahrasar canal where as Purran and LBOD contributing drainage also developed breaches. • Except sugar cane crop rest of cultivated area is worst affected. • Jhudo: Taluka is inundated and more than 90% crops are damaged. Poor villagers got shifted to banks of LBOD feeding canal. There is more than fifty thousand acre irrigated land is submerged and more than 0.1 million people are displaced, reported by media.

Immediate Needs: • FIs, shelter, safe drinking water and medicines are required along motors for dewatering.

Snaps of Filed

For Further Details Plz contact:

Tharparkar Umerkot AWARE Office AWARE Office, Near National Bank, Chachro, District Ward # 311 Gharibabad Mohalla Umerkot, Tharparkar Sindh, Pakistan District Umerkot, Sindh, Pakistan Tele/Fax: + 92 232 273054 Tele/Fax: + 92 238 500039 Cell # + 92 333 7092067 Cell # + 92 333 7092067 website: www.aware.org.pk email: [email protected]