Public holiday today across Sindh due to rain emergency

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has announced a public holiday across the province on Friday (today) due to the rain emergency in several cities and towns of Sindh.A statement issued by the CM House said all government-run, public sector and private institutions would remain closed on Friday.

“The institutions, which render emergency services in the province, will only remain open in Sindh. These include Sindh Government’s Health Department, the Local Government Department, its subsidiary organisations in the province, the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and the revenue services offices in the province.”

Rescue operation

The chief minister directed the Karachi commissioner to coordinate with the Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Army for the evacuation of people stranded due to flooding near the Sukkuan Nadi and the Malir River in Karachi and house them in schools as a temporary shelter.

The CM, through different reports submitted to him by the deputy commissioners, learnt that some people living in the bed of Sukkan and Malir rivers had stranded due to high flood. He directed the Karachi’s commissioner to request the navy and the army to rescue the stranded people and house them in school buildings in Malir district.

He directed the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to arrange food and other necessary items for them and their children. He also directed the PDMA to arrange tents, dry food items and drinking water for the people to be shifted to camps.

Later, the PDMA informed the district administration that tents, mosquito nets and de-watering machines were available with them. The district administrations in the city were directed to inform the PDMA about their demands for emergency equipment.

The PDMA, subsequently, provided 63 de-watering machines to the district administrations to pump out water from the low-lying areas of the city.

‘Disastrous’ rain

Talking to news channels, the chief minister said Karachi had received heavy rains on Thursday and rain showers with the same intensity were expected on Friday (today) too. He urged the people stuck at offices to stay in there and “don’t go out until the rain is over and water is pumped out”.

Terming the heavy rains in the city a disaster, he said it was a dangerous situation and he was quite worried about the poor people living in cottages and informal settlements. “I am surprised that our political opponents, instead of extending a helping hand to the government and the people, are criticising us as if we are responsible for this unprecedented heavy downpour”

He, however, added: “Being a government, it is our prime duty to help people, rescue them, shift them to a safe place and rehabilitate them; we are working on it.”Murad Ali Shah said once the rain was over, all-out efforts would be made to dispose of water and restore normal life in the city. The chief minister said he had mobilised the district administration, the local bodies, the KWSB, the PDMA and the Sindh police to help people.

“The provincial ministers, the district administration, and the district and traffic police are on the roads to help people. I am personally monitoring the situation and is in constant touch with the relevant officers and giving them necessary instruction,” he said and added he had visited some parts of the city in the late afternoon.