DADU, Dec 30: Though it’s been more than four months when floods ravaged the province but its effects continue to haunt the survivors who are now losing their near and dear ones to cold and harsh weather.The government is yet to provide them with the necessary articles.
An unlucky mother lost both, her infant daughter and mental balance.
Rozina Khoso, 32, wife of peasant Aziz Khoso of Ghari Jagir village lost her mental balance soon after the death of her two-month-old daughter, Waheedan. Her condition is not improving though her husband parted with the family’s last possession of a goat. The animal fetched him Rs4,000 which was not enough to normalize his wife’s mental condition. Her two other daughters - three-year-old Maryam and four-year-old Hajra - look towards their mother for comfort who herself is in dire need of material relief and medical intervention.
Memories of dead infant haunts Rozina who gets hysterical and runs outdoor wailing and shouting, said Aziz Khoso.
Aziz Khoso told Dawn that the increasing cold is affecting the children most but officials of federal, provincial and local governments are unaware of their sufferings. It’s been more than a week but his wife was yet to recover from her mental state while their other two surviving daughters are suffering from gastroenteritis and running fever but he has no money to get them treated. Whatever he got after selling the goat was spent on Rozina’s treatment which remained insufficient.
Another peasant, Mohammad Ali Khoso, has a similar tale to share. He too, lost his 12-month-old daughter Mariam to cold as the family, like rest of their fellow being, has no warm clothes and blankets to protect them from the freezing weather. His four surviving children are down with measles and he has no means to provide them medical relief. The mother of sick children, Islam Khatoon, said that her children have become too, week because of continuous starvation. Like others, this family too, also lost everything to floods, including buffaloes and cattle.
The flow of water in MNV drain is adding to chill she said adding that they are in need of tents, blankets and warm clothes.
A widow, Bibi, wailed that the family doesn’t have money to buy warm clothes or even an ordinary dress for her four children in increasing frostiness. Another widow, Bhagaul, said perhaps the world has forgotten the residents of this village as warm clothes and winter beddings were not distributed among them.
Some 100 families, including that of Rozina did not move to nearby towns when floods hit their village in August last, but preferred to live on higher ground on the embankment of Main Nara Valley drain.
Families returned to the village but the situation is worsening for poor peasants and their families as the freezing weather has put the lives of more than 70 children below six years of age, at risk. Their mud houses were washed away and they are now living in thatched homes without warm clothes and blankets.
One of the villages in Mehar taluka, located 18km away from the town near MNV drain is not visited by any official, aid agency or an NGO for the assessment of loss or for providing flood-hit population with relief goods.
Some 350 residents of village Rasool Bux have returned from Kotri and Karachi and brought with them tents but they too have no money to rebuild houses.
Salih Chandio said that they were waiting for the government aid to rebuild their houses and help them in cultivating land by honoring its commitments of providing free seeds and fertilizers.
Dawn contacted Mukhtiarkar of Mehar taluka Kazi Mushtaq who said that seed and fertilizer had yet not been provided to farmers of Rasool Bux Chandio, Ghari Jagir and other villages for want of a computerized list.
Over 3,000 people of Misri Khoso, Noor Mohammad Chhutto and Panah Gaincho villages in Khan Jo Goth union council in taluka Mehar are facing problems of warm cloths and blankets.
Ahmed Chhutto said that no survey was conducted by the civil society organizations and the government for providing them with warm clothes and blankets.
A closed Basic Health Unit (BHU) near Qaim Jatoi village proved the absence of staff to treat patients.
A villager Misri Khan said that the children of area were facing numerous diseases and waiting for doctors.
EDO Health Dadu, Dr Moula Bux Jamali expressed his unawareness about the deaths by cold in Ghari Jagir village. He said that he will conduct an inquiry into the deaths and outbreak of diseases in Ghari Jagir and other villages.
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