Shahdadkot (Sindhi: شھدادڪوٽ; Urdu: شہدادکوٹ) is the most populated and largest Tehsil of Qambar Shahdadkot District of Sindh, Pakistan. It was named after the town founder Shahdad Khan Khuhawar. It is located around 51 kilometres northwest of Larkana and 34 kilometers north of Qambar. The town is in close proximity to three districts of Balochistan namely Khuzdar, Jhal Magsi and Jaffarabad in the west and north of the district. It is linked on the M8 motorway route between Gwadar and Ratodero.
Shahdadkot
شھدادڪوٽ | |
|---|---|
Talka,Town | |
| Shahdadkot Talka | |
 Water Supply Shahdadkot | |
| Nickname: Kambar Shahdadkot | |
 On the upper side of Sindh, Touches the Balochistan | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Sindh |
| Division | Larkana Division |
| District | Qambar Shahdadkot District |
| Established | Kalhora Dynasty Rule |
| Population (2023) | 120,687 |
| Post Code | 77300 |
| Area code | 0744 |
| Local Languages | Sindhi, Siraiki, Balochi, Brohi |
Town is also a political stronghold of Pakistan People's Party since 1970.[1] The town was also the constituency of the former prime minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto. PPP MPA Meer Nadir Khan Magsi has been elected for more than 3 decades now.
Health challenges
editContaminated water
editThe underground water in the Shahdadkot was found to be contaminated with harmful chemicals and heavy metals that made it unfit for human consumption. Officials from the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency who have confirmed the contamination. The water supplied from the government water plants is not properly treated, people are left to fend for themselves to either purchase expensive bottled water or to pay local water suppliers to procure drinking water or drink untreated and unhygienic water. The funds provided by the government all go into the pockets of local corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. No long-term measures are in sight to address the very basic water issue.[2]
HIV outbreak
editThere was a significant increase in child HIV cases in the Sindh province of Pakistan in recent years. Officials from the Sindh AIDS Control Program identified poverty, malnutrition, and lack of access to healthcare as some of the factors contributing to the rise in cases. The government responded by providing free HIV testing and treatment to affected children.[3]
Demographics
edit| Census | Population[4] |
|---|---|
| 1972 | 24,323 |
| 1981 | 32,888 |
| 1998 | 60,436 |
| 2017 | 118,935 |
| 2023 | 120,687 |
Flood destruction
editIn August 2022, Heavy monsoon rains caused flooding in several areas of Pakistan, including Shahdadkot and other small cities in Sindh and Punjab.[5] Heavy rains caused the Meeru Khan Canal in Qamber-Shahdadkot district to overflow and breach its embankments, resulting in flooding in several nearby villages. The floods damaged homes, crops, and livestock, and disrupted communications and transportation. An inquiry was launched to determine the cause and prevent similar incidents.[6]
Local authorities and rescue teams provided relief and evacuated affected communities, but faced challenges due to the scale of the disaster.[7] Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso distributed food items among people affected by floods in the Katcha area of Qubo Saeed Khan.[8] The distribution was carried out on behalf of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.
Floods caused significant damage to property and infrastructure and affected millions of people. The government made efforts to rescue those affected, but many are still waiting for relief.[9]
Sports
editCricket is the main sports played by the majority of the citizens besides that Football is also prevalent when Sindh Balochistan inter provincial tournaments are held.
There is one official Cricket stadium where Cricket tournaments are held over the course of one year and many local clubs compete in such tournaments.
Volleyball can be seen played mostly in country sides in the evenings. Soccer is also played amongst kids in local schools.
Notable people
edit- Mian Ghulam Siddique Mekan, Sufi saint
- Suman Pawan Bodani, first Hindu woman to become a civil judge
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Welcome to the Website of Provincial Assembly of Sindh".
- ^ "Underground contamination: Not a drop worth drinking in Qambar-Shahdadkot". The Express Tribune. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ "Sharp increase in HIV cases in Sindh".
- ^ "Shāhdādkot (Qambar Shahdadkot, Sindh, Pakistan) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ Sadhwani, Mehram Raz | Rashid Baloch | Malik Liaquat | Irshad Arain | Ghulam Mustafa | Sanjay (3 September 2022). "Qambar Shahadkot in Sindh flooded as protection dyke breaks". Samaa. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ "Several villages flooded after breach in Meeru Khan canal in Qamber". The Nation. 4 September 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ "Floodwater deluges hundreds of villages in Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah". www.geo.tv. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ "Deputy Commissioner Qambar-Shahdadkot Javed Nabi Khoso distributing food items among the flood affected people…". Associated Press of Pakistan. 1 August 2022. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Many rescued, millions still await relief as floods continue to ravage Pakistan". Daily Times. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- "KAMBER SHAHDADKOT". Provincial Assembly of Sindh.
- "Ratodero-Shahdadkot". National Highway Authority.
External links
edit