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Govt to seek donor

agencies help for

drought-hit areas

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to contact donor agencies for seeking help in implementing its long-term relief operation plan in drought hit-areas in Balochistan.

The Balochistan government has been asked to prepare relief operation plan within two weeks so that it could be submitted to the donor agencies for necessary help, said Minister for Environment, Local Government and Rural Development Umar Asghar Khan.

The Minister, who had an extensive visit to Aranji in Khuzdar district, the worst-affected area, told newsmen here on Monday, that the foreign agencies help would be needed for the development of road, water and health facilities in the drought-hit areas.

Umar Asghar expressed satisfaction over the relief work being carried out in drought-hit Aranji tahsil. He said government departments, army teams and various NGOs were doing their best to provide relief to the poor suffering due to drought.

Giving his impression about the situation, he said the main problem was lack of communication as there was no road network, thereby hampering quick transportation of provisions.

He said some 400 people gathered at Aranji mosque to collect relief goods expressed satisfaction over the measures taken by the Government and other agencies.

Replying to a question, he said the financial assistance of Rs 5 million announced by the Chief Executive during his visit to Sibi last month had been released to the provincial government.

However, the main problem was lack of infrastructure in the affected area and feared that other areas too may face similar problems.

Other problems were of water and health facilities, he observed adding that the water table was stated to be some 200 to 300 feet below surface and there were no tube-wells.

He said short-term, medium-term and long-term measures were needed to solve the problems of the area. Farm-to-market roads were needed so that the people could bring their herds for sale to the market.

When asked about the number of and reason for, Umar Asghar was of the view that the press has been giving exaggerated figures. The total death in the Aranji may not be more than 20, he added.

He said that during his visit to the camp he saw old people being examined by the doctors and there was no sign of any epidemic. Therefore there was no cause of alarm of this account, he added.

The Minister said the efforts to mitigate the sufferings of the people were being made in a very organised manner.

Replying to a question, he said the situation arose because there was no rainfall for the last three years and other areas might have been facing the same situation. He also mentioned Cholistan and Thar and Sanghar in this regard. He said the phenomenon was global as there was worldwild change in weather cycle.

He said there was little rain in Aranji during the last three years and people could not find herbs and bushes for grazing their livestock.

Citing figures from the recent census report he said there are 27.17 million animals in Balochistan. He said according to the figures, the mainstay of Balochistan people is herding and absence of usual rainfall had worsened the situation.

In the beginning, he said, relief supply was affected due to non-existence of roads leading to the rugged mountainous area. However, bulldozers have been provided to construct single tracks for smooth mobility of relief vehicles.ÑAPP