Karachi: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday visited various
rain-affected districts of Sindh to monitor relief activities and to
interact with elected representatives, relief committees and district
administration officials of the affected areas through satellite video
conferencing from Bilawal House Karachi.
The districts visited
on Friday included Benazirabad, Sanghar, Badin, Tando Allhah Yar,
Thatta, Matiari, Mirpur Khas and Tando Mohammad Khan.
The Sindh
Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Ms. Faryal Talpur MNA and Ms. Fouzia
Wahab, MNA, were also present with President Asif Ali Zardari at
Bilawal House.
Members of Sindh Cabinet were present in the
control room of CM House, Karachi, and the concerned officials were
present in respective control rooms in the field.
During video
conferencing, the President monitored relief activities and the steps
taken so far for the rehabilitation of the affected people in various
localities.
The President especially enquired about the
arrangements for facilitation of the farmers in the affected areas and
the mechanism that has been put in place for distribution of seeds for
Rabi crop.
It was informed that the distribution of wheat seed
would be carried out through EDO (Revenue) of the districts and
Monitoring Committees have also been set up to ensure transparency in
the distribution mechanism. These monitoring committees would comprise
of elected representatives, Deputy Commissioners, representative of
Sindh Chamber of Agriculture and the representative of Sindh Abadgar
Board.
It may be recalled that during yesterday’s meeting on
Rabi Crop facilitation, the President was informed that Agriculture
department Sindh has proposed a package costing Rs. 4.4 billion for
growers of flood/rain affected districts whereby wheat would be
cultivated on an area of 1.100 million acres in Sindh and wheat seeds
would be provided to the affectee farmers at the rate of 50 kgs per acre
along with one bag of urea. The President enquired about the
availability of seeds in various areas and directed the required amount
of certified wheat seed be purchased and distributed among the growers.
The President enquired about progress in preparation of detailed
lists of the affected growers for compensation of seed purposes.
During
video conferencing the President was also briefed about the progress in
dewatering of the stagnated water from various areas. The President
directed to expedite the completion process of dewatering. It may be
recalled that during previous video conferencing, the President had a
detailed discussion with legislators, district administration officials
and irrigation authorities on dewatering issue in flood affected areas
of Sindh and had called for a Master Plan for drainage to handle similar
calamities in the provinces in future. Accordingly, in the next meeting
that followed, foreign consultant Louis Berger gave a presentation on
drainage plan for dealing similar calamities in future and also
submitted plan for enhancing capacity of left bank outfall drain (LBOD).
The President had also directed WPADA for preparation of a
similar master plan for Balochistan, it may be recalled. The President
enquired about progress made in this regard. Online
