Islamabad, 19 October 2011: President Asif Ali Zardari today visited various flood affected areas of Sindh through satellite video conferencing and interacted with the elected representatives and Government officials to monitor flood relief activities with special reference to the drainage issue, availability of seeds for the Rabi crop 2011-12 and distribution of Pakistan Cards among the flood affectees.

 

During video conferencing, the fifth in series, held at the special Flood Control Cell of Aiwan-e-Sadr today the President visited districts of Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Tando Allah Yar, Mirpurkhas, Matiari and Umerkot.

 

Those who were present during today’s video conferencing included among others Information Minister Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for Water & Power, Secretary General Mr. Salman Faruqui, Ms. Farahnaz Ispahani, Ms. Fouzia Wahab, Ms. Mehreen Anwer Raja, Secretary Information Mr. Taimur Azmat Osman, Chairman NDMA Dr. Zarfar Iqbal Qadir, Chairman NADRA Mr. Ali Arshad Hakeem, Chairman PARC Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed and other senior officials.

 

Chief Minister Sindh was participating in the video conferencing from the control room of CM House Karachi whereas the elected representatives and concerned DCOs of the affected areas were present in the control rooms in the field to brief the President about on-ground situation and the progress made in President’s earlier directives regarding flood relief activities.

 

Spokesperson to the President Mr. Farhatullah Babar while briefing the media about today’s video conferencing said that the President enquired about the mechanism of wheat seed availability and its distribution for the upcoming Rabi crop 2011-12. 

 

The President advised that the distribution mechanism of the wheat seed be devised at the earliest and the seed be provided to the affected areas on priority so as to enable the farmers to sow wheat crop as soon as dewatering process is completed, which he was informed, would be completed within next few days.

 

The President also directed the concerned government officials to expedite all the relief efforts in wake of fast approaching winter season.

 

The President was also briefed about progress on dewatering of the stagnated water, especially in Badin, and that of drainage plan to find permanent solution to this issue. It may be recalled that during last video conferencing, Speaker National Assembly Dr. Fehmida Mirza who was present in the video conferencing had pointed out that most of the floodwater that had drained out from other areas had stagnated in Badin and called for special plans for drainage in Badin.

 

Spokesperson said that the President today reiterated his call for a comprehensive study to be carried out to examine feasibility of diverting floodwaters to the natural catchments areas in deserts for use in future and for irrigating parched land in interior Sindh keeping in view the possibility of any such natural calamity in wake of climatic changes in the region.

 

During today’s conferencing, the President was also briefed about the progress made in the distribution of Pakistan Cards among the flood affectees, the spokesperson said.