Commission calls for socio-economic uplift in Thar

Karachi 

The commission formed to probe the Thar drought issue, in its report submitted to the chief minister, has pointed out that lapses in inter-departmental coordination during relief work, pre-existing malnutrition and lack of health facilities have combined to aggravate the crisis that has claimed over 400 children's lives in the area.

The commission comprised Abdul Fatah Malik as the convener, Dr Tipu Sultan as a member, Sono Khangrani as member and DG Provincial Disaster Management Authority Commander (R) Salman Shah.

The terms of reference for the commission included inquiring into the causes, response of the administration in current crises; fixing responsibility for the lapses on the departments concerned in mitigating the situation during drought in Tharparkar and finally recommending the remedial measures.

Its report was discussed at length during a meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister with the relevant officials on Wednesday.

The Commission for Thar Drought observed that there was a lack of coordination among the line departments for carrying out relief activities during the drought. It also found huge coordination lapses among TMAs, Special Initiative Department, NGOs and public health departments. It also found that the departments like social welfare, agriculture, environment, forest, population welfare, transport and tourism also seemed to be underperforming.

The commission recommended setting up a provincial monitoring team having representation of departments including health, food, livestock, irrigation and meteorology, to report to the chief minister after every quarter.

The drought commission called for preparing a comprehensive nutrition and drought policy and the related sectoral planning for it across issues ranging from poverty to education. It recommended that a structural home for nutrition could be developed in every union council. However, it said, the policy for responding to drought must be entirely independent of the nutrition policy.

It stated that the Thar Development Authority (TDA) should serve as an umbrella organisation to manage any further drought crisis.

The commission also found that local population had been excluded from reaping the fruits of development schemes, and urged the government to pursue a loyalty system while excavating coal reserves by providing of compulsory employment to the local population.

It also recommended devising a policy for using innovative cultivation methods in Thar to ensure protection of resources and the land quality. In its report, it was said that a single district hospital for a population of 1.3 million people, with majority vulnerable, was is indicative of the underlying cause of current crisis.

It was said that there were 309 posts of specialists, medical officers and others of BPS-17 to BPA-19 but were vacant.  Responding to this health minister Jam Mehtab Dahar said selection of specialists and medical officers by the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) had begun. He said the written test was held yesterday and the entire process of selection would be completed within two months.

Secretary health Saeed Mangnijo said besides the District Headquarter Hospital, there were 189 union dispensaries in Tharparkar. He said a new District Headquarter Hospital has been approved and work will begin within a month.

The commission in its report stated that there were 14 ambulances in the entire district, out of which six were being used by the Mithi Civil Hospital. The chief minister quipped that he had approved the purchase of ten 4x4 ambulances for Thar.

Members of the commission also pointed out the lack of any residential facility for doctors and said whatever accommodation was available, it was being used by non-medical officials. On this the chief minister ordered the health minister to get doctors’ accommodation vacated.

The commission also observed that doctors with domiciles of Thar were not willing to serve in the area and recommended the implementation of the Essential Services Act in true letter and spirit. The report urged the government for robust implementation of family planning and reproductive healthcare network in impoverished areas.

The report also emphasised the practices of early marriages, and pre-existing malnourishment in mothers and children, combined with lack of immunization and access to antenatal care to have contributed greatyl towards the grim situation in Thar and recommended resolving them as soon as possible.

Additional Chief Secretary Mohammad Waseem said that a nutrition program worth Rs8 billion for seven districts that included Tharparkar, had been launched with the assistance of European Union.

The chief minister directed Secretary Agriculture Shahid Gulzar Shaikh to work out a special scheme for Thar and present him in the next meeting.

The chief minister said findings of the commission needed to be reviewed thoroughly. “Findings of the commission are most important and they must be discussed and considered with an open mind,” said the chief minister with directions to the chief secretary to meet with all secretaries of government departments on the report and come up with detailed proposal in the next meeting.