PFF Flood Update Report August 24

Flood situation in Jamshoro
Kotri bridge was receiving the Century’s highest flow, one million cusecs water, on Tuesday, created panic among the people residing in the vicinity, both the sides of the river. The residents displaced after six localities inundated on Monday morning in Jamshoro and Kotri neighbourhoods in the Jamshoro districts have been shifted to safer places. Some of them have shifted to camps set up in nearby government schools, while others preferred to live with their relatives in the area. The PFF team was there, helped people through providing vehicles with the local legislators and influential and provided non food items to them immediately. Some of the victim families are associated with the PFF and are active members of the organization. It was the worst situation that the bunds both the sides of twin cities, Hyderabad and Kotri were facing high water pressure. Meteorological office predicted that the supper flood will continue for seven days with the same water pressure on the Kotri and downstream up to tail end Thatta districts.
Migration Trend
The people of Jamshoro and Hyderabad were looking depressed due to rumours of weakening embankments, which were facing high water pressure. Some of the families reportedly to have shifted to Karachi while others living in low lying areas of Hyderabad city were preparing to shift their families to safer places. It was unimaginable situation that the River was carrying the most high flood since the last 150 years. Parts of Kotri and adjoining areas have already shifted to their relatives living in hilly areas ordinarily. Majori of the people are living uncertain live in their localities.

Thatta
In Thatta PFF teams reported that there was high pressure at two bunds Moonarki and Surjani both the sides of the River. Families of nearby villages and small towns looking no better alternative have shifted to embankments for safety, where hundreds of local people were looking alert to help in case of leakages. However, the uncertainty prevailed in the wide areas, where people do not sleep for the last few days due to mounting pressure on bunds. Though, entire katcha area has come under the water, the PFF volunteers on boats were operating to help the people if somebody is still there. Apart from this PFF team observed that protective bund from Ali Bahar village, close to the bigger Keenjhar Lake was facing high pressure of flood water. There were several other villages, which the PFF team said may come under water because of the worsening situation.
High Tides
High tides in the sea have started two days back and will continue for the next five days pushing the River water back. That is another alarming situation for the coastal communities as well as the people already facing supper flood. Some senior fishermen guess that though in normal days the River Water can push the sea water back, the high tides may create panic for the people facing flood. In this situation definitely the protective bunds have to face further water pressure.
Media persons visit in Coastal areas
A media team approached PFF management to facilitate them so they may document the flood effects and high tides in the coastal areas. PFF social organizer Gulab Shah guided the media people to visit Khobar Creek, where the River flow ends into the sea. Besides this, PFF communication wing already shares update information with print and electronic media about the flood situation, PFF contribution in rescue and relief work.
Media persons visit in Shahdadkot
BBC team approached PFF activists working in Shahdadkot for facilitation to visit the entire area for documentation. PFF arranged a boat for them and visited the area. The visiting BBC team witnessed several villages inundated flood water, destroyed crops and livestock.
Shahdadkot
Situation in the worst affected Shahdadkot Town, which was under pressure and the people have almost left their abodes, is getting normal on Tuesday. The protective bunds built by the locals themselves are safe and there is no danger there. PFF, which is operating two speed boats have evacuated 18 more families comprising 74 members including minor children and women from four villages. The PFF team observing the situation said the villages located at the top and were encircled by flood water were looking optimistic to be safe, demanding to provide them safe food and ration. These people were facing acute shortage of food.
PFF Approached by PPP Legislator
Ruling PPP-backed Sindh Assembly member Ghulam Mohammed Shehliani acknowledged the humanitarian approach of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and asked them to help rescuing his constituency people in Jacobabad district by providing them boats. PFF team responded him positively and asked the community boats to help the people in this difficult moment. There were several villages where people are still living. In fact villages are safe but are encircled by flood water. It will take time to get the situation noramlised for the displaced communities to come back.
Constraints
It was disheartening situation when the governments Navy personnel strictly asked PFF team not to bring the people’s valuables and belongings with them, while rescuing them by boats. When the PFF asked the reason the government agency personnel could not justify, but they asked PFF not to bring such things with them. PFF conveyed the discouraging attitude of the government agency with local influential and Sindh minister Nadir Magsi and DCO, who assured PFF team of safety and asked them to continue their rescue work. They have already acknowledged the PFF team for their rescue operation by boats. PFF has also prepared flags, caps and badges for its volunteers working in different areas for their own recognition.
PFF believes that the people need their belongings at this moment, thinking they may survive by their own. The PFF has also brought out their small vehicles and ration.
PFF also faced difficulties while launching evacuation operation and wherever they visited the affected families demanded to provide food, which instantly PFF could not manage.

http://thenews.com.pk/24-08-2010/karachi/824.htm
More than one lakh abandon Shahdadkot
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
By Jan Khaskheli
Karachi
Mumtaz Soomro, a Sindhi folklore writer, who belongs to Shahdadkot and is currently based in Karachi, cried when he told The News that he was going to search his parents, whose whereabouts are not known since they left Shahdadkot which has been ravaged by floodwater.
Some people told him that his parents had left the city in a pitiable situation and were proceeding to Larkana for safety, while others simply do not know anything about them. “I do not know if I will be able to see my parents, sisters, brothers and other close relatives, who have left everything behind in Shahdadkot and went towards Larkana in a haphazard manner,” Soomro said.
About 39 villages in Shahdadkot have totally come under water and the people are shifting to safer places. However, the number of the affected villages could be more, as no government institution has collected data in this regard. Land routes from different areas have been disconnected and in many areas the floodwater level is above six feet due to which hundreds of people are marooned.
However, those who could, or had to, leave the area have already started moving. More than 90 per cent out of total 150,000 population of the city have shifted to other areas. The destination of most of them is Karachi, the only place, the flood victims believe, where Sindhu Darya (Indus) would not reach.
People displaced from Shikarpur, Sukkur, Ghotki, Dadu and parts of Nawabshah and Matiari districts are traveling to Karachi, while those belonging to Kashmore and Jacobabad prefer to travel to Sibi and Quetta in Balochistan.
Those who could not afford to travel to Karachi have stayed and are searching for ‘safe place’ to live in the vicinity. “When we reached In Shahpur Jamali village, 10 kilometers from the district headquarter, Shahdadkot, to evacuate the people through fishing and speed boats, they refused to leave the area,” said Yasin Tunion of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF). “The people said they only needed food at the moment and were safe as their village was located five feet above the flood water level”. The people were, however, convinced later by Tunion and others by telling them that the water level was rising and might wash their village away any time.
The PFF claims to have provided 130 boats in the Kashmore, Shahdadkot, Jacobabad, Jamshoro and Thatta districts for rescue and relief work with 350 volunteers. They also claim that some of their boats are being used by the district governments for the purpose of providing relief.
Tunion believes that a lot more is needed to be done for the flood victims as their troubles are limitless. “No option has left for the flood affected people, who are selling their livestock and other valuables just to afford a journey to a place they find to be safe. Certain cattle traders are exploiting the situation who come there with trucks and purchase a buffalo, which would cost Rs80,000 to 100,000 under normal circumstances, for Rs20,000 only.
Meanwhile, the worst affected people at the moment are daily wage workers who have nothing to sell to either arrange food for their children or travel to other areas. “People are begging at roadsides because they have nothing to eat. Children and elderly people are vulnerable to deadly diseases,” Tunion said.
He said that the people of Shahdadkot seem to have lost their battle against the flood as the embankment they been protecting for a week collapsed on Monday and the people now have no other option other than abandoning their homes and running. Tunion said that despite all the warnings and devastation the floods caused, some people are still reluctant to leave the city.
One Younus Marri from Kashmore said that 100 buffaloes of one cattle farmer had died on Sunday due to drinking contaminated water in Tangwani village, Darri Union Council. The farmer has nothing to shift carcasses of the dead animals, which might create problem for the people in the village. Like Tangwani village, hundreds of cattle heads have either died or are vulnerable to deadly diseases in many of the flood affected areas.
Meanwhile, Manchhar Lake is receiving water and crossed 11ft on Sunday evening. After crossing 15ft, the lake water would create problems for the people living near the lake’s embankment. One Muzaffar Panhwar from Sehwan said that nothing could be done about reducing the water level in the lake as the Indus, where the water of the lake could have been released in case of an emergency, is itself is ‘more than full’ of water. Local people believe that the lake could cause another disaster in the area if the water level in it continued to rise.