At least 27 public-sector schools have been converted into relief camps for the flood victims, who have come to the city from different areas to seek shelter, food and other necessities of life.
The initiative has been taken by the provincial government and defunct City District Government Karachi (CDGK) to provide a better environment to the flood affected people.
Out of the total 18 towns of the city, seven have been identified where such relief camps are being established, said project in-charge, and Additional Secretary Planning and Development, Ashfaq Qadri.
He told The News that about 9,125 internally displaced persons (IDP), 1527 males, 2,124 females, 2669 boys between the ages of five to 12 years and 2805 girls of the same age group, have arrived at the relief camps established at public sector schools. Most of the flood victims belong to Dadu, Jacobabad and Sukkur districts, he said.
Several schools in Bin Qasim, Korangi, Gadap, Saddar, Keamari, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Liaquatabad towns are hosting the flood victims where government authorities claim they are being provided facilities. The town administrations would assist the CDGK in providing clean drinking water and food to the people who have taken refuge at these camps, Qadri said. He in meanwhile added that the Education department of the CDGK is also responsible for taking care of the schools.
Officials claim that the flood victims are being provided with most of the basic facilities, the ground realities, however, demonstrate an entirely different picture. The News has learnt that many of the camps lack all kinds of facilities needed to provde relief to the hopeless IDPs. The Government Boys Primary School (GBPS), Ramzan Jogi, in the Gadap town has no drinking water and there is not a single toilet at the school’s premises. GBPS Chakra(S) and GBPS KTS-21 in the Korangi town also need basic facilities as both of the school though have one washroom each which, they are not usable. Similarly, GBPS Babul Islam in the Gadap town has no toilet and clean drinking water at all, while GBPS Abdul Raheem Goth has two toilets but only none of them is functional.
Qadri said that the camps have been established for at least a couple of weeks but the duration could be extended depending on the situation. Students of enrolled at these schools have temporarily been shifted to nearby schools so that they could continue their studies there, he said.
At least seven schools have been converted into relief camps only in the Bin Qasim town, whereas three schools in Korangi are currently serving as relief camps, he further said. Meanwhile, one school each in the Saddar, Liaquatabad and Keamari towns are hosting flood victims temporarily, while four schools of Gadap and 10 schools located in the Gulshan town are part of this project, Qadri gave details.
Meanwhile, the Director Academic and Training, Sindh Technical Educational and Vocational Authority, has announced that academic activities at three polytechnic institute of the city will remain suspended due to establishment of relief camps at the premises of these institutions. These institutions include Government College of Technology, SITE Karachi, Pakistan Swedish Polytechnic Institute, Landhi, and Government Monotechnic Institute, Razakabad.
Principals of these institutions will depute their teaching and non-teaching staff for round the clock safety and security of the premises, equipment and machinery and will remain in close co-ordination with the Revenue department, government of Sindh, Qadri said.
