The Baloch Hal NewsQUETTA: The government delayed the rehabilitation of the flood- victims of Jaffarabad District in Balochistan because of non-availability of funds, which caused has dismay and anger among people rendered homeless by flash flood.
A number of flood survivors staged demonstration on Sunday to press their demand for rehabilitation.
Balochistan government has urged the federal government and the international donors to release the much- needed funds so that it could start rehabilitation of flood-affected people.
Flood Relief focal person and Balochistan Minister for Prosecution Ms. Rahila Durrani said that the provincial government could not carry out rehabilitation of about 590,000 flood victims of Eastern Balochistan within its limited resources until international donor agencies and the federal government extend financial cooperation.
Although, a large number of flood-stricken people had returned to their native areas, however, they were forced living in tents or on embankments of Pat Feeder and Kirthar canals as no rehabilitation work including reconstruction of homes and restoration of sources of income could be launched in flood-ravaged Dera Allahyar, Jhal Magsi, Suhbatpur, Gandakha, Rojhan Jamali and Usta Muhammad.
Raging flood tides had washed away hundreds of thousands of mud houses in these areas while due to standing of floodwater for over 40 days, cemented houses had also collapsed.
Rahila Durrani told that Balochistan had suffered losses of billion of rupees as the worst ever floods had washed away standing crops on over 700,000 acres of land in Eastern Balochistan and other parts of the province while infrastructure had badly been damaged.
Officials of Livestock Department said that hundreds of thousands of cattle had been either washed away or killed by raging flash flood.
It is recalled here that 80 percent of population in districts of Eastern Balochistan depends on agriculture and livestock sectors for their livelihood while now they had been deprived of the two sources of income.
Despite announcements by responsible persons,no practical steps were taken so far to provide seeds and fertilizers to devastated farmers of Eastern Balochsitan to sow next crops as they have no cash to do so.
Pakistan Railways can not restore rail service from Quetta to Sindh and Punjab despite passage of over 40 days while Divisional Superintendent Railways Maqbool Magsi had told media that train service would be operational from Oct 1.
Works and Communication Department have to restore Derra Allahyar and Jacobabad road link, which had been damaged by floods.
Local people have accused the contractors and relevant departments who constructed highway between Dera Allahyar and Jacobabad of damages caused by floods as they did not construct bridges under the highway on the points which had been natural courses of flash floods for centuries.
They maintained that floods headed to Eastern Balochistan after breach in Tori Band along Indus River stood in the areas as they could not divert to desert and barren land of Sehwan due to closure of natural routes of flash floods after construction of road. They alleged that culture of taking lion share in allocated funds for road projects had caused widespread destruction in Eastern Balochistan.
http://thebalochhal.com/2010/10/rehabilitation-of-baloch-flood-victims-delayed/
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