LARKANA: The rain-affected people of Larkana city and Jacobabad, Garhi Khairo, Shahdadkot, Qamber and other cities and villages who have taken shelter in the Government Girls Degree College, Larkana held a protest demonstration at Jinnah Bagh Chowk during the rains on Wednesday.

They blocked the roundabout, causing the oncoming traffic to jam due to which commuters suffered a lot, where they also shouted slogans against the district administration. On that occasion, the victims Karam Hussain Luhar, Anwar Ali Dahani, Bashir Ahmad Dahani, Zamir Ali Sheikh, Qurban Dahani and others said that due to heavy rains, our houses came under water and many houses collapsed and our crops were damaged.

They said their cattle died, so we migrated and took up shelter in the city’s Government Girls Degree College to save lives, but we have not been provided with rations, tents and other facilities for three days continuously, to the extent that there is no drinking water and electricity in the college. They said our innocent children and women, including us, are facing severe problems which should be resolved. They demanded that proper basic facilities should be provided to them as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, residents of OPF Colony also held a demonstration at Naundero bypass demanding draining out stagnant rainwater from their colony which was a gift of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. Residents of Baitul Mal Colony and other areas and artists also held a protest separately outside the residence of ex-minister Suhail Siyal and in front of deputy commissioner’s house demanding ration, dewatering, restoration of electricity, tents and other facilities announced by the Sindh Government.

Artists Suhni Naz, Raja Nadim Khuhawar, Altaf Chandio and others complained that their houses have also collapsed like others due to which they are also living under open sky but nobody has come to take care of them and the elected representatives have been confined to their homes. They urged the authorities to drain out water from their locality and provide financial assistance.

In Naundero, an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) Mukhtiar Soomro said that only one food at night was given last night that too in an improper manner and since then nothing has been provided by the administration. He said all schools are full of IDPs, even affectees are staying at new bus stands but all of them have been ignored.