Sindh declares Tharparkar drought-hit as 90% of crops fail; CM orders urgent water and fodder relief
Camels rest in the dry Thar desert in Tharparkar, where livestock is a lifeline for local families. The chief minister has ordered fodder and water supplies to protect animals through the drought. (File photo)
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has declared Tharparkar a drought-hit district, ordering immediate relief for a desert region where nine in every ten crops have failed.
The decision came at a meeting at the Chief Minister’s House on Saturday, where officials briefed Mr Shah on drought-like conditions across all seven talukas of the district. He directed the departments concerned to start relief work at once and to make sure drinking water and essential supplies reached the affected population.
90% of crops destroyed
The briefing put the damage in stark terms. The agriculture extension department estimated crop losses at around 90 per cent, and field reports from assistant commissioners and mukhtiarkars confirmed that only 10 to 15 per cent of crops had survived.
Rainfall, the briefing noted, had been both scarce and uneven. Seasonal monsoon totals ranged from 181mm to 273mm across the seven talukas, but September brought just 1mm to 36mm. Crops and natural grass dried out before they could mature, leaving farming families with little to harvest and less to feed their animals.
Water plants, pipeline and fodder
Mr Shah told the chief secretary to have every non-functional reverse osmosis plant repaired and restored on a priority basis, and to identify and fix faults in existing water supply sources so communities had uninterrupted access to drinking water.
He also asked for an urgent feasibility study on laying a dedicated water supply line from Naukot to Mithi, to give the district headquarters a sustainable supply, and ordered immediate arrangements for fodder to protect livestock — a major source of income in the desert district.
Government will stand by Tharparkar
The chief minister said the provincial government would stand by the people of Tharparkar through the difficult period, directing the administration to monitor the situation closely and ensure no affected community was left without essential support.
The meeting was attended by MNA Dr Mahesh Malani, MPAs Dost Muhammad Rahimoon, Qasim Soomro, Faqeer Sher Muhammad Bilalani and Arbab Lutfullah, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Senior Member of the Board of Revenue Khalid Hyder Shah and Mirpurkhas Commissioner Shahmir Bhutto.
