-Over 90,000 people treated for infections, water-borne diseases in single day accross Sindh as floods toll mounts
-Karachi registers 192 more cases of Dengue fever
-Murad Ali Shah rules out viability of dams to store ‘sea-like’ flood waters
From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: The death toll from catastrophic floods crossed 1,500 on Friday as thousands of displaced citizens in Sindh — where floodwaters and hill torrents have converged after wreaking havoc elsewhere in the country — were treated from infectious and water-borne diseases.
In a report issued on Friday, the Sindh Directorate General Health Services said 92,797 citizens were treated on September 15 (Thursday). Of these, 588 were confirmed to have malaria with another 10,604 cases.
The report said that 17,977 cases of diarrhoea and 20,064 skin disease cases were reported on Thursday, alongside 28 cases of dengue. A total of 2.3 million patients have been treated since July 1 in the field and mobile hospitals set up in the flooded region. Further, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said 22 flood-related deaths were reported over the last 24 hours. Since June 14, 1,508 people have died. In its daily situation report, the NDMA also said nine individuals were injured in flood-related incidents during the last 24 hours, taking the total to 12,758.
Recent floods, brought by record monsoon rains and glacial melt in northern mountains, have also swept away homes, vehicles, crops and livestock in damage estimated at $30 billion.
The government and the United Nations have blamed climate change for the surging waters in the wake of record-breaking summer temperatures, with Pakistan receiving 391mm of rain, or nearly 190 per cent more than the 30-year average, in July and August. That climbed to 466pc for Sindh, one of the worst-affected areas.
On Friday, there were signs of life returning to normal in parts of the province as water levels continued to recede. Dadu Deputy Commissioner (DC) Murtaza Ali Shah told media that the level of floodwater had dropped by approximately two feet at various spots, including the ring bund, in the district’s Mehar city.
He said there was still eight to night-feet-high water in the city’s adjoining areas, but the level was continuously reducing. And “markets in the city have started opening partially,” he added.
Dadu Assistant Commissioner Mohsin Sheikh told media that the residents of Mehar, who had shifted to safer locations in the wake of floods, had started returning after the drop in water levels. Moreover, DC Shah said water levels had also dropped by the same measure in Khairpur Nathan Shah.
Separately, PPP MPA Pir Mujeebul Haq, who was elected from Dadu’s PS-74 constituency, told media that the water level in the Main Nara Valley Drain had dropped by two feet.
In Johi, MNA Rafique Jamali, elected from Dadu’s NA-235 constituency, said the water level was around eight to nine feet high in the city and that the water level was dropping at the city’s ring bund. He said markets had started opening partially in Johi.
PPP MNA Sikandar Ali Rahoupoto, who has been elected from Jamshoro’s NA-233 constituency, estimated that the water was standing up to eight to nine feet in Bhan Syedabad and adjoining areas after the levels dropped by around two feet.
“Bhan Syedebad has partially opened,” he said. According to the official in charge of the irrigation cell for Manchhar Lake, Sher Mohammad Mallah, the water level in Manchhar Lake — which has been one of the main threats province reeling from floods — was recorded at 121.5-foot reduced level on Friday morning.
The Flood Forecasting Division website showed that the River Indus was witnessing a medium-level flood at Kotri on Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Friday differed with suggestions from various quarters over the significance of dams in minimising the devastation caused by floodwater, saying the deluge in the province was too big to be tackled by dams alone.
Speaking to journalists after chairing a meeting in Hyderabad, the provincial chief executive asked those suggesting the construction of dams to explain how the 120 million-acre-feet of water in Sindh could be taken to Tarbela and Diamer-Bhasha Dams.
He also wondered if there was a location in the province where such a large quantum of water could be stored, adding that he was open to “all suggestions”.
“Some experts have also given their input, and one asked why I was drowning the people and said I should divert the water,” he said. “Please tell me how I can keep moving or diverting water like a vehicle.”
Hundreds of thousands of people who have been displaced in Sindh are in dire need of support in terms of food, shelter, clean drinking water, toilets, and medicines. Many have been sleeping in the open by the side of elevated highways.
“I have been in flood-affected areas for the past two days. The situation for families is beyond bleak, and the stories I heard paint a desperate picture,” said Abdullah Fadil, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund representative in Pakistan, after visiting the flooded areas.
“All of us on the ground see malnourished children battling diarrhoea and malaria, dengue fever, and many with painful skin conditions,” he said in a statement.
He said a lot of the mothers were anaemic and malnourished themselves, and with very low-weight babies, being exhausted or ill and unable to breastfeed.
Millions of families are now living with little more than rags to protect themselves from the scorching sun as temperatures in some areas pass 40 degrees Celsius, Fadil said.
Besides, cases of dengue virus continue to witness sharp increase in Sindh including Karachi as the provincial capital has registered as many as 192 more cases of the vector-borne viral disease.
According to the provincial health ministry, district Korangi remained the most affected with 63 cases reported in a day, followed by 45 cases from district East, 35 cases were reported from district South, 26 from district Central, 14 from Malir and six and three cases respectively from Keamari and West.
The provincial health department has so far reported 1,620 dengue fever cases in the ongoing month in Karachi with annual tally crossing 3,287.
The other parts of the Sindh province that are hit by devastating floods have reported 4,320 cases during the ongoing year.
Sindh government has claimed to have taken measures for dealing with dengue fever in the province after most of the province is under flood water while urban centres have also received record rainfall during the monsoon spell.
During a meeting yesterday, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab said that the city Thursday reported 201 cases of dengue virus. The administration will launch a fumigation and spray drive to destroy larvae of dengue mosquitoes, he assured.
