Declare Thar as drought-hit: PPP MPA

SUKKUR: PPP MPA from Nagarparkar Qasim Siraj Soomro has called upon the government to declare Thar as drought-hit.

Addressing a press conference, Siraj Soomro said a report was compiled by the district administration which would be sent to the top government officials once the government is formed in the province. He said he would personally take up the matter with the party’s senior leadership to fulfill the commitments made to the electorate.

Soomro said the people of Tharparkar gave the party a huge response in the elections and now it is the turn of PPP’s elected members to make concerted efforts to help Tharis in the drought-like situations. The PPP MPA said the top PPP leadership including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Asif Ali Zardari, Syed Murad Ali Shah were very concerned about the drought in Tharparkar due to less or erratic rainfall. He said the situation may worsen if rains do not occur during the remaining part of the monsoons, forcing people to migrate.

Soomro said: “We are devising strategies to provide relief during droughts and other catastrophes in the desert region.” He said certain schemes are to be taken up at the union council level under the Poverty Reduction Programme. The PPP MPA said plans are afoot to overhaul the health, education and drinking water infrastructure in Tharparkar. Here it is pertinent to note that the district administration of Thar from the British rule used to write to high-ups for declaring the region as calamity-hit if the region did get sufficient rains by August 15. This year the entire region has so far received nearly 20 to 25 percent less erratic rainfall due to which the situation with each passing day was getting alarming.