PFF Daily Flood Report August 22

PFF Daily Flood Report August 22

Expected Effects of High Tides in the Sea
Now when the Thatta district is facing supper flood, receiving 900,000 cusec water on Sunday, the people of coastal areas feared they may face two disasters simultaneously, one floodwater inundating wide area while another the season of high tides may create problem for them.
Expected high tides starting within next two days may push the River water flow back, which coastal community people fear will damage more villages. The flood has destroyed houses and washed away valuables of the communities in union council Tando Hafiz Shah, the main business center of the wide area and adjoined villages. There is no assessment yet about the property loss by the district government, but PFF activists monitoring the situation, say the houses are damaged badly and there is nothing left for the people displaced from the area.
During the High tide the sea will not receive the river water and will push the flow back, which may cause devastation further in the vicinity.
Reports from Mouth of the River ending into the Sea
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) activists from Kharo Chhan reported that the flood water has inundated around 40 villages, located at the mouth of the river ending into the sea from its natural route. The residents do not have access to transport to reach safer places with their belongings. Some people traditionally have herds of livestock have shifted to mountainous areas with families, while others are facing problem due to unavailability of transport.
Warning Messages
PFF volunteers are there for spreading early warning messages to inform the people and take possible measures with the support of District Administration to minimize the losses. Till yet they are still waiting to receive vehicles to shift the families. Many of them instead of waiting for transport have already started leaving their area, shifting to roadsides and upper parts for safety.
Capacity of Relief Camps
The problem is that there are no government schools in the entire coastal areas where affected people may be shifted. Furthermore, there are no more tents to accommodate these people. Unavailability of potable water and safe food is another problem the affected people are facing in the entire area.
PFF activists are in touch with the district administration that they should provide vehicles to shift the affected families, mostly fishermen to safe places. PFF has already provided 52 boats to shift katcha area people to safe places in close collaboration with the district administration in Thatta. PFF has their 350 volunteers using boats have rescued 15,000 out of total evacuated 90,000 people only in Thatta district. These people have been shifted to 155 camps. PFF has distributed food and non-food items to 1000 affected families in five union councils for immediate help and approaching government to get tents for the accommodation of the affected families. The people living in the poor camps and those staying at roads are facing health problem.
There are still problems that the government infrastructures are insufficient and the schools despite their poor conditions do not have capacity to accommodate more people there. The activists say they are convincing the government to provide tents to accommodate these affected people. Because hundreds of families traveling themselves by foot and staying in open may face problem. Specially the lives of minor children and elderly people are at risk.
Jamshoro
Controversial foreign funded Right Bank Outfall Drain, designed in the river bed, receiving water and fears prevail that it may wreck havoc with local communities, in case of breaching. The RBOD again receiving water through Hamal Lake, Qambar district and flowing into the Manchhar lake. Presently the Manchhar level has gone up to 11 ft. it is feared that due to its water level rise, several villages may be inundated. Because, the River Indus is carrying supper flood would not receive lake water. In result it will develop breaching. The PFF team was informed by indigenous people that in case of water rise it may reach 15ft level. They call it another disaster because there is no passage to lessen the water level in the Manchhar lake.
Due to water pressure people guess that remaining Indus Highway may come under the flood water at any time.
Kotri
Near Kotri at least three villages located close to the river bank have come under water on Sunday morning because there were no protective bunds. Families have been shifted themselves to nearby mountainous areas for safety. Local legislators and philanthropists are helping them with providing food and shelter. PFF has activated its volunteers to see if they may help the people, because it is the main stronghold of the fishing community.
Shahdadkot
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum rescue team reached Shahpur Jamali village, 10 kilometers from the district headquarter Shahdadkot to evacuate families to safe places. Earlier, the people approached authorities to evacuate them when water surrounded but when PFF team reached there with two boats, they refused to come out, saying they need only food at this moment and were feeling safe. The situation was that the village was located five ft above the water level their surrounding. The PFF team convinced them that since the flood water is still there they should come out ordinarily and shift to safe camps. Following the PFF guidance they were evacuated immediately.
PDMA Response
Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesman said now Thatta and Jamshoro districts are in high flood. Entire katcha area is under the water. While many areas outside the protective bunds are facing threats to be affected in case of over flow or leakages. PDMA official said there are 68 deaths reported so far due to the supper flood hit wide areas in Sindh while the number of deaths is rising because of worst situation in camps where families are living in poor conditions. He said it is the immeasurable loss and needs some time for accurate assessment to ascertain the damage of human, property, crops, livestock and infrastructure.