950819

CM distributes

Rs 13.4m govt

bonds among

Manchar victims

SEHWAN: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Abdullah Shah has said that government was striving hard to resolve the problems of the people and provide them with maximum facilities, which committed in its party manifesto.

The Chief Minister said this, while addressing at the compensation distribution ceremony at Bhan Saeedabad, near here late Friday night.

Syed Abdullah Shah distributed government bonds worth Rs 13.4 million to 150 persons whose agriculture land had been inundated in the Manchar lake area.

It may be noted that 28 dehs of Taluka Sehwan and 10 dehs of Taluka Johi had been under water in Manchar lake area and over 6,000 persons were affected in this regard.

The government bonds, which have been distributed by the Chief Minister among the Manchar lake victims will be payable after five years. The compensation amount has been given to them as rupees 15,000 per acre. Ten percent compensation amount had already been paid to the last year, while the remaining compensation is being given this year.

Shah said that Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had made commitment with the Manchar lake victims to provide compensation to meet their losses.

He said after the completion of this long standing demand, it has been proved that the government did not believe in false commitments, but giving top priority to solve the grievances of the poor people.

Syed Abdullah Shah said that now the victims have received compensation of their land and they have no right to catch fish or birds from the lake area as it is now government property.

The Chief Minister said that he has received complaints that some vested elements were trying to make the lake water unhygienic. He warned such elements to stop their activities, otherwise, strict action will be taken against them.

He informed that a comprehensive plan is being prepared for the development of Mancher lake including strengthening the protective embankments, bring the depth upto 130 feet by desilting the lake so that in future, te breaches or over-flow situation could be averted.

Earlier, in his address of welcome, MPA Ghulam Shah Jilani has said that the government was making all out effort for the rehabilitation of flood affected people of Sindh. In Dadu, he said that the situation has been brought under control and the flood affected people are being looked after by the district administration properly.

He also thanked the donor agencies for extending their keen cooperation in providing the relief work to the flood victims of Dadu district.

According to BR correspondent Hafeez Shaikh in Hyderabad: The mighty river Indus is flowing steady at 799447 cusec up-stream and 711435 cusec down-stream at Kotri barrage since Friday. No increase in the water level was reported at Kotri barrage during the last 24 hours. The water gauge is also holding steady at 24.4. However, the water gauge at Dadu-Moro bridge has further receded from 131 on Friday to 130.8 on Saturday.

At Sukkur barrage the water level has further receded by 36205 cusec up-stream and 36079 cusec down-stream during the last 24 hours. The total water discharged at Sukkur barrage at 6 p.m. on Saturday was recorded at 433251 cusec up-stream and 385212 cusec down-steam.

At Guddu barrage the total water discharge was recorded at 45109 cusec up-stream and 428975 cusec down-stream during the same period. According to the Irrigation Department, all the protective bunds are holding out the onslaught of Indus waters and no breach was reported from anywhere.

Meanwhile, the Sindh Minister for Food Syed Mohsin Shah Bukhari who is the incharge of the protective bunds Hyderabad, inspected Haji Pir and Mullah Katihar bunds and distributed food stuff among 200 affected families of Maqbara Sharif katca area.

The Minister also visited Latifabad Unit No. 10 protective bund. Sindh Minister for Irrigation and Power Haji Zafar Khan Leghari also visited the protective bunds from Sakrand to Surjani bunds and directed the irrigation officials to maintain round the clock vigil on the embankments.

CHANJANS SPUR WASHED AWAY

Mighty waves of river Indus washed away Chanjans spur near Kot Adu, built at a cost of Rs 30 million, only six months before.

This was stated by Chief Engineer Irrigation Chriag Hussain Warraich. He said a few days ago, another spur No. 167 near D.G. Khan was also washed away by an erosion due to floods in river Indus. He said the erosion damaged hundreds of acres of land in Basti Oasmani and Basti Cheena. However, strenuous efforts are being made to check the erosion and avoid further damage, he added.

RS 30 LAKH RELIEF

Provincial government has provided two grants of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, which will soon be utilized for providing aid to people affected by recent floods and hill torrents in Rajanpur District, after survey to be conducted by Punjab Government teams. This was stated by Provincial Minister for Excise and Taxation, Sardar Zahid Mahmood Mazari. The Minister visited flood affected areas and distributed one thousand atta bags among flood victims.