Cyclone Phet approaching Karachi

Updated at: 1545 PST, Wednesday, June 02, 2010

KARACHI: At least 170 boats lost contact with control room as cyclone Phet is 900 kilometers away from Karachi.

Navy helicopters have launched search operation for the missing fishermen. Meteorological Department warned fishermen against going to open sea and directed them to back up by today’s evening.

According to Met Department, the cyclone is assuming more fury 900 kilometers to southwest of Karachi. The ferocious hurricane would make landing at Pakistan’s coastline after 24 hours, as it is likely to force entry into Sindh coastal areas at night between Friday and Saturday.

The fierce storm could unleash heavy downpours couple with gale-force winds in coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

Under the influence of tropical cyclone formed in Arabian Sea, Widespread rain associated with strong gusty winds is also expected in Sindh including Makran coast between Thursday to Saturday. PHET is a Thai word pronounced as Pet, meaning "Diamond".

Focal person of Disaster Management Committee Fayyaz Abbasi said control rooms have been established in all districts of Thatta and Badin. DPO Thatta Manzoor Shaikh said schools along with coastal area have been converted into relief camps.

---

Cyclone 1,100 kms off city: Heavy rains expected in city on Friday

KARACHI: The Met office said Tuesday that lower parts of Sindh including Karachi were likely to experience heavy rains with strong winds on Friday and Saturday.

A tropical cyclone, some 1,100 kilometres southwest of Karachi, was expected to move initially in the northwest direction in the next 24 hours. After that it was expected to re-curve in the northeast direction towards Indian Gujrat and the Sindh coast.

The tropical cyclone was expected to further intensify after crossing 20 degree north on Thursday causing heavy rains with gusty winds (60 to 80 knots) along the Sindh and Makran coasts from Thursday evening to Saturday.

The Tropical Warning Centre of the Met Department has warned fishermen of Sindh and Balochistan who were in the open sea to return to coast before Wednesday evening. The centre has advised all fishermen not to venture in open sea from Thursday to Saturday.

Ban on swimming in sea: Karachi Administrator Fazlur Rehman has banned swimming in the sea under Section 144 in view of the Arabian Sea cyclone. app

---

Come home, cyclone!
Island communities refuse to leave homes; say they are ready to face any emergency

Sunday, June 06, 2010
By Jan Khaskheli

Karachi

More than 40,000 people residing at four islands of Karachi have refused to shift to government’s relief camps, saying that they would fight the cyclone in their own way rather than living in the camps without food, water and other facilities.

Local activists representing the island communities told The News on Saturday that they received phone calls from Sindh Fisheries Minister Zahid Bhurgari who asked them to shift to the relief camps before the cyclone hit the area. Officials of the Pakistan Navy had also visited the island villages Baba, Bhit, Salehabad and Shamspir to convince the community people to shift to the relief camps, they said.

“The camps established in Unisabad and Jangal Shah are not safe from the cyclone. We are reluctant to shift there,” they said. “We have visited these camps and observed that the camps are more vulnerable to be affected by the cyclone as they are located close to the sea.” Besides, they said that communities from the Thatta and Badin district coastal villages who had been shifted to these camps were facing food shortage and living in unhygienic conditions.

However, they said, they are observing the situation and might shift their children and old people to the camps if the cyclone intensifies. The government authorities are approaching them again and again to shift their families to the camps, they added.

A local activist from famous picnic point Sandpits, Abdul Ghani, told The News that the residents of Kakapir neighbourhood were also reluctant to move to the relief camps.

Mubarak Sanghu, PPP leader and former nazim of the Union Council Gabopat, Keamari Town, said that certain government officials were trying to set up camps at the places that were dangerously close to the sea. “We oppose the decision and insist the authorities to set up camps at points that are at least three kilometers away from the coast,” he added.

He said that Revenue Department officials have set up a camp in Deh Lal Bakhur, three kilometers away from the Hawks Bay area but the precautionary measures taken by the government were not satisfactory, adding that the local activists and volunteers were working dedicatedly to help the area people.

Sanghu further said that after complaints regarding lack of facilities at the relief camps, PPP MNA Qadir Patel visited the area in order to locate a safe place where the community people could be shifted and provided relief. The MNA issued directives to the relevant government officials to make arrangements and facilitate the people. He also talked to the community activists and asked them to convince the people for shifting to the camps.

Meanwhile, communities living in the Bin Qasim Town coastal villages are also reluctant to move to the relief camps. Master Qasim of the Chashma Goth told The News that the government had set up camps in school buildings in Ibrahim Hydri, Rehri, Chashma, Jatt Muhalla and other areas, but not a single family had moved there so far.

However, some area activists told The News that after hue and cry by the communities in the relief camps, the government has issued directives, and concerned health and Revenue officials have been asked to ensure that facilities are provided to them. The health department officials have reached there with medicines, and efforts are being made to supply food and other items to affected families, the area activists said.

Meanwhile, a Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) spokesman said that they had sent a team to visit the Thatta and Badin coastal areas to assess the situation. PFF volunteers in Badin, Thatta and Karachi coastal areas are monitoring the situation and would help the people at the time of emergency, he said.

However, there are reports lately that some of the families at the island villages have agreed to shift their children and the old people to the relief camps as they were approached several times by the Revenue Department officials and the Navy personnel in this regard.