The Country Director, Asian DevelopmentBank (ADB), Warner Liepach Thursday announced assistance of $100million for the development of infrastructure and rehabilitation offlood affected of Thatta and Badin.

The ADB delegation led by the Country Director visited theaffected areas of the two districts.

"Damage caused by floods in Sindh is heavy in nature speciallyto the agriculture sector which needs to be restored throughdevelopment of infrastructure and rehabilitate affected people onsustainable basis," he observed during the meeting with the provincialgovernment officials after the visit.

In his briefing to the Bank's delegation, the DCO Thatta MohammedJaffer Abbasi said that the monsoon rains which started on 13thAugust and continued till 12th of September, brought saline water through LBOD's (Left Bank Outfall Drain) drains and caused inundationof Jati and Mirpur Bathoro talukas of the district.

He said that the floods played havoc by hitting 629 villages andsweeping away over 18,000 houses

Besides, he said at least 18 persons died and over 0.2 millionpeople were rendered homeless while over 0.1 million acres of paddycrops was completely damaged.

The rains also completely damaged over 600 schools, hemaintained.

"Many of the flood victims have not yet been able to return to homes as their homes are still under flood water which will take moretime to be drained out to the sea," he added.