2010-02-06 05:41:41 - Flood - Pakistan EDIS CODE: FL-20100206-24817-PAK
Date & Time: 2010-02-06 05:41:41 [UTC]
Area: Pakistan, State of Sindh, Thatta district, Damage level: Heavy (Level 3)
Not confirmed information! Description: Inundated by sea water, some 30 villages situated on the coast in Thatta district, are waiting for relief after high tides wreaked havoc in the area. The villages, mostly near Keti Bunder, Kharo Chhan and Ghora Bari, have been flooded by sea water and panic prevails amongst the coastal communities as they wait for some relief measures. Area residents say that they have seen such high tides in winters after a period of eight years as in 2002, a similar string of high tides lashed out several villages in Thatta, Badin and Karachi's coastal belt. Talking to The News, Gulab Shah, an activist from Keti Bunder said that the exact number of affected villages could not be ascertained, adding, "Some fifty villages are affected by the current high tides. Due to the rough sea, nobody dares to travel to the scattered island villages to assess the actual loss people have suffered." Describing the situation, he said, "We do know that the victims are in dire need of food and drinking water. They have lost almost every food item and fuel available in their houses. Sea water has also destroyed the makeshift water ponds in which they stored potable water. At the moment, food and drinking water is what is needed the most by the communities." The locals said that the high tides usually increased in June and July every year, around monsoons, and as result the "killer" waves inundate many areas, destroying fishing boats and nets harvested as well as compel people to leave their homes for weeks.
A former councilor and activist from Rehry Mayan, Bin Qasim Town, Akhtar Shaikh, said, "The high tides have affected most areas of the neighbourhood and seawater has inundated the houses. The victim families have lost food items, water and fuel." Sheikh added that whenever the high tides affect the area, people have to wait for at least a month before relief comes their way. "Usually, the high tides with low intensity rise twice every month, which are not so horrible. This unusual rise in the tides after every eight has affected the communities settled in low lying areas severely," Sheikh said. A folklore writer from Kharo Chhan, Adam Janiaro, said that the high waves continued for four consecutive days from 2 am to 7 am, flooding the area and destroying the makeshift huts and polluting water ponds. "The waves were unimaginably high and frightened the people badly who were fast asleep when they struck the shores with full force," he added. Reports collected by The News reveal that the embankment, built 10 years ago especially for protection against the high tides and sea storms, has been damaged, leaving the coastal communities at the mercy of the sea waves and natural calamities. With no potable water, the stock of dry fish which the women store for use in emergency has also been destroyed, making the situation worse for the villagers. "Nobody from the government has come forward to help," other activists said, adding that despite tall claims by the concerned authorities to initiate development schemes nothing has been done so far. "We are still waiting for relief!" they said. The News contacted the administrator of Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS) for his comments regarding the situation. However he could not be reached.
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