By Rehan Khan Khushik
KARACHI/HYDERABAD
The World Bank mission members have said that to tackle emergencies along with highways in Sindh, the 16 Satellite stations Rescue Service centers 1122 were established under the Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project Planning and Development Component government of Sindh.
They said that all Satellite stations Rescue Service centers 1122 were established with fully equipped and trained staff along with ambulances.
A high level World Bank mission led by Task Team leader Ahsan Tehsin visited and inspected the Satellite Station Rescue Service Center 1122 on Sehwan-Bhan Syedabad Indus Highway at Rural Health Center Arazi some 6 kilometers away from Manchhar lake and 5 kms away from Sehwan city.
The other World Bank mission members those visited and inspected the rehabilitation works of restoration of roads and satellite stations services centers 1122 in taluka Sehwan under livelihood of floor hit areas included Nihan Rafiq disaster risk management specialist, Yunziyi Lang climate change specialist, Yoko Okura disaster risk management specialist, Amna Memon, Mishka Zaman senior social development specialist, Sana Ahmed environment specialist, Moritz Meyer senior economist, Christina Wieser senior economist and Farah Yamin Khan, Shahid Sohail, Syed Kashif Gilani, Shams Jaffrani and Aijaz Shaikh.
The World Bank mission members held a meeting with SFERP planning and development components officials led by Project Director Ghulam Asghar Kanasaro to review the progress of Satellite stations Rescue Service center 1122.
On that occasion, the Project Director SFERP planning and development component Ghulam Asghar Kanasaro briefed the World Bank mission that such type 16 Satellite station of Rescue Service centers 1122 were providing emergency services to the people along with the highways and remote areas in Sindh where there was no facilities of health..He said that during road accidents and other emergencies these Satellite station of Rescue Service centers 1122 were providing facilities to the affected people..He said that these Satellite station of Rescue Service centers 1122 were connected with each other after 60 kilometers distance on the highways in Sindh.
He said that these satellite centers were fully equipped and trained staff along with vehicles that pay services in emergency..
The World Bank mission members also inspected the rehabilitation works at community level in flood villages at various flood hit villages surrounding parts of Manchhar, including the rehabilitation work of roads to major populated villages including Aktar and Chhutto located some 2 kms away from historical village Arazi.
They held meetings with SFERP planning and development components led by Project Director Ghulam Asghar Kanasaro to review the progress of rehabilitation works at community level in flood villages..
The world Bank mission members observed the progress of the Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Programme (SFERP) Planning and Development Component -a cash-for-work initiative funded by the World Bank and supported by local communities, especially women and children in flood-hit areas, which was launched at Manchhar Lake and its surrounding regions after flood 2022.
On that occasion Project Director SFERP (planning and development component government of Sindh) Ghulam Asghar Kanasaro briefed the World Bank mission that flood devastated roads for Aktar and Chhutto villages were constructed for the facilities of local flood hit villages.
The World Bank mission members met the communities especially children and women also in flood hit villages of taluka Sehwan surrounding the Manchhar lake.
Aslam Leghari, Bisharat Khan, Sana Siddiq and Shayar the SFERP planning and development components also attended the briefing and discussed the community’s issues.
The director Satellite stations Rescue Services 1122 centers Col rtd Syed Sardar Shah also was present on tht occasion.
The World Bank team visited the village Mohammad Saleh Samejo to assess the Cash for Work activities carried out by the local community to restore their community infrastructure, which was damaged by last year’s floods in 2022.
The community representatives briefed the team on the activities undertaken by the locals, including the streets and access roads under the SFERP. Cash for Work involved the participation of local unskilled and unemployed labor both men and women. The local community expressed their appreciation for the Bank’s role in providing funds for the restoration of basic local infrastructure and creating livelihood opportunities at their doorstep.
The Bank team expressed satisfaction with the transparency in receiving payments from the Government after the verification of social mobilizers for the performed activities. The team also acknowledged the significant role played by local women in Cash for Work, highlighting their dedication and cooperation with men. During the interaction with the community, the Bank extended to fulfilling the dire needs of the community through future interventions.
Later on, the World Bank mission visited the under-construction point sherwah road to observe the progress and quality of construction. The team expressed satisfaction with pace of work and quality of all aspects of road reconstruction. The technical team of the project informed the World Bank team that climate-resilient features have been incorporated in the design and construction of the road accordingly.
The Federal Government representatives accompanied the World Bank and the project team during the visit.
