3 die, 5 sustain injuries in Rain-related accidents
Chilli and cotton crops inundated, stored crops destroyed
Three died and five were wounded in rain-related incidents in Umerkot district, more than 1000 acres standing crops of cotton and chilli were inundated, some canals, and water courses developed breaches with water level reaching at alarming level in others.
Stored cotton and chilli also suffered damages, as factories had stopped buying cotton crop due to imposition of taxes. Livestock also suffered cold due to continuous rains. It continued raining in Pithoro Town, here on Friday.
According to details, heavy downpour which started on 9th August continued in Pithoro town and some other areas on Friday. Post-rain effects have started appearing, as winds started blowing, roofs and walls of thatched houses and houses with weak foundation started collapsing.
In this regard house wall of Ilyas Sand near Pithoro collapsed resultantly his mother Apyan-75 died on the spot and his wife suffered injuries. She was shifted to Taluka hospital Pithoro, where her health is stabling.
In another incident Jewa-45 resident of village Akram Chaudhary near Shadi Palli lost her life, as roof of her house collapsed. Three children and two women suffered injuries when wall in ward number 2 of Shadi Palli town collapsed.
Yaqoob Ali, 16, son of Ilyas Rahimoo of Rahimoo Mohla Umerkot drowned in Pinja Talli a traditional pond (Tarai) near Umerkot, when he went to take a bath and have picnic there with his friends.
It was water, water everywhere with crops and houses under knee-deep water. Trees, poles were rooted out. Roofs were trickling. According to an estimate more than 1000 acres standing crops of cotton and chilli had come under water.
Peasants stayed on the banks of water courses and canals to save their crops and houses. Arz Muhammad Khaskheli said “In tail end of Thar tail more than 200 acres of cotton crop has been inundated.”
Ghulam Nabi Shahani said that two breaches have been developed in Noorwah near Shahani Abad, resultantly village Ibrahim Panhawar has been inundated. He complained that during water shortage their crops are dried and water is not released to them, but now unwanted water is released in their water courses to inundate them.
Water level in Nara Canal, Thar Wah, Sarhari Miner is said to be increasing, villagers feared that it can develop breaches at any time. Surprisingly people from entire district complained that official machinery including irrigation department was not witnessed anywhere, therefore they were taking hectic efforts to save their houses, crops from water on self help basis.
Tulchho Malhi, a small grower in Umerkot town said that now water courses have stopped lifting water from canals and miners, growers have started dewatering from their lands, and releasing it to Umerkot town, resultantly his three acres cotton has been inundated but he feared that now historical fort of Umerkot, Shiwani Mohla, Oad Mohla, Gypsies colony can be inundated, if water being released from Kotwah through water course number 50 is not stopped.”