Protracted suffering
Five districts in Sindh province of Pakistan and 3000 human settlements are reeling under a prolonged drought.
According to Sindh's additional chief secretary (development), Shahzado Shaikh, 194,798 families living in the districts of Thar, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Dadu and Thatta have borne the brunt of the dry spell. The total population of these areas is 1.38 million. The drought has led to an exodus from Thar to the irrigated areas of the province.
An emergency action plan has been chalked out. Relief measures include remission of land revenue, provision of medical aid and distribution of free wheat. Shaikh suggested that windmills should be installed in the desert areas to overcome the water, power and gas crises.
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