Insufficient govt steps stop villagers from shifting

KARACHI - Expressing dissatisfaction over proper arrangements, the villagers of the coastal belt have refused to move to the government- established relief camps in view of the expected cyclone 'Phet, as only around 3,000 villagers out of 0.8 million have so far been shifted to the relief camps. Member National Assembly of PPP Qadir Patel visited his constituency of Mubarak Goth located in Keamari Town to convince the villagers to move to the relief camps but they refused saying that the government has only floated the banners at the relief camps and has failed to make proper arrangements. They said the government was not providing the basic needs like food and medicines at the camps so it is completely useless to move to the relief camps that have nothing except the banners in praise for the government. Similarly, the villagers of Baba Bhitt Island have also refused to leave their homes due to lack of basic facilities at the relief camps, while some old villagers were convinced to be shifted to some other villages. It is quite unfortunate that except Qadir Patel not a single elected representative and officials concerned have bothered to pay visit to any village at the coastal belt to provide any relief even at this time of need. The same dissatisfactory situation has been witnessed at Ketti Bandar, from where few families have agreed to move to Ebrahim Hydri at their relatives homes. The residents who are living in the adjoining areas of Korangi Fish Harbor told that the government has not taken any serious initiative to set up relief camps at the harbour. Talking to The Nation, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) spokesman said that the Karachi coastal belt was measuring 130 kilometres in which about 2,000 villages were established but so far the government had not made any appropriate arrangement for the poor fishers villages. He also alleged that the rangers personnel tried to forcibly evacuate the villagers from Jatti and also baton-charged the people. He added that the people of Ebrahim Hydri, Chashma Goth, Rehri Goth and other villagers living in coastal belt of Karachi to Thatta and Badin have refused to vacate their homes. On the other side Mithan Mallah, the district president of PFF Badin, has informed that more than 1,200 people have been evacuated from Zero Gungro and brought to the camps at Golarchi, which is one of the subdivisions of Badin District. The evacuated people were complaining about the quantity and quality of food which is being provided by government authorities. He said that more than 8 villages including Kandri Mithan Mallah, Shaikh Kirio, Haji Hajam Mallah, Natho Mallah, Chanesar Mallah, Allah Bachayo Mallah and Gaji Mallah in Badin are still living in the vulnerable situation but their inhabitants have refused to be evacuated for they are dissatisfied with the arrangements in government camps. The PFF representatives Hajan and Yaseen Tunio said that at Thatta district two boats namely Al-Karam and Al-Makkah, owned by Siddique Thaheem and Hussain Wangi respectively are still missing, and each of the boat has 5 fishermen who left for offshore some 7 days ago. The representatives of PFF at Thatta and Jati said that some 500 people had been brought into a camp at Keti Bunder, while others refused to move to the camp. They said that the evacuated people were not being provided proper transportation, food and medical facilities, and the transport by the government falls short of fuel most of the times. It is feared that more than 35 villages are at risk and unfortunately they have not been given attention by the government authorities so far. In Jati, a subdivision of Thatta, some three camps have been set up at Government Higher Secondary School Jati, Government Primary School Mughallbheen Jati and Basic Health Unit Jadro which are providing temporary shelter to 350, 102 and 550 evacuated people respectively. Besides, the rangers accompanied by PFF team have get vacated the villages including Haji Ismail Katyar, Yosif Katiyar, Mehmood Jat, Jan Muhammad Jat, Khalifo A M Samo, Karim Dino, Noor Ahmed Jat, Ahmed khan Jat, Moosa Dhandhal, Suleman Tandio, Muhammad Urs Lakhani Jat in Jatti and others.

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