Floods make their way down as authorities struggle to strengthen embankments

Irrigation secretary unsatisfied with pace of work in Ghotki, Khairpur

SUKKUR: It seems that history is set to repeat itself as the provincial irrigation department, despite being given billions of rupees every year for strengthening protective dykes from the threat of floods, is nowhere near ready to brace the expected rain.

The 2010 flood had exposed the department's inefficiency when the raging Indus River, after damaging the Tori Bund - the last line of defence -, had wreaked havoc across Sindh.

A high-level team comprising irrigation secretary Zaheed Haider Shah, Sukkur commissioner and senior irrigation and army officials on Tuesday inspected the protective dykes in Ghotki and Khairpur districts. The team, according to sources, expressed dissatisfaction over the pace of preparatory work and directed officials to complete the work within ten days.

Sukkur commissioner Mohammad Abbas Baloch told The Express Tribune he had written a letter to the chief secretary complaining of slow pace of work at the embankments following which the inspection visit took place.

"We will visit these embankments on July 25 again to check on the progress," he said, adding that a campaign has also been initiated to remove encroachments from the protective dykes, especially at Garhi Pathan.

SIDA slacking

An official of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Sida), requesting anonymity, accused most authority officials of negligence.

He said there are a total of five executive engineers and all of them exist only on paper while out of the 14 sub-divisional officers, only four are active on duty. Similarly, of 41 surveyors, only three are seen working and out of 156 daroghas, 113 are found working.

Additionally, of 741 beldars, only 141 are working, while the remaining are chronic absentees, he added.

'Not so bad'

Sida Ghotki director Ghulam Yasin Qureshi told The Express Tribune that after he made a hue and cry, 80% officials have returned to work besides four executive engineers have also been posted.

As far as strengthening of embankments is concerned, a 1,320 feet portion of Qadirpur loop bund has been strengthened while stone pitching and raising of apron of Shaink bund is also under way and the work is likely to be completed within the next two to three days, he said.

However, a Kandhkot-based reporter informed that the strengthening work at Tori bund, Old Tori bund, KK bund, Makhwani bund and others is continuing at a very slow pace.

He alleged that all the news about flooding of katcha areas in the region is baseless as so far water has not even touched the protective dykes.

When the water level exceeds 500,000 cusecs, residents of katcha areas are joyous as the flood water brings precious sediments which make their land more fertile, he claimed.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2016.