Sindh’s rehabilitation: Committee after committee formed to ‘review’ work

KARACHI: The Sindh government has formed yet another committee to reconcile rehabilitation work in flood-affected areas. The committee, which comprises the rehabilitation minister, irrigation secretary, district coordination officers and revenue officials, will visit the areas to monitor development work.

Members of committees formed earlier have complained that there has been no progress in the repairs of breaches that occurred in the protective embankments along the River Indus because of the flood. Repairs of canals too have been slow. The officials said that most of the breaches were not plugged using conventional methods and the slow pace of work would lead to another calamity in the province in the summer. The first parliamentary committee was formed on the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari. The five-member committee was headed by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Syed Ahmed Ali Shah and included Ghalib Domki, Aisha Khoso, Saddiq Memon and Sain Dad Solangi.

Another committee, formed by the provincial government, was headed by the irrigation minister while other members included the rehabilitation minister and irrigation secretary.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a committee member, requesting anonymity, said that Rs2 billion have been released to plug and strengthen the bunds but not a single paisa has been spent. He said that the kharif season is about to begin and none of the breaches, from Kashmore to Thatta, have been plugged “in the conventional method” (that include stone pitching among others).

A few days ago, the parliamentary committee visited Thatta district and reviewed the rehabilitation work. They expressed their dissatisfaction to the irrigation officials.

MPA Ghalib Domki said that they went to Thatta, Jacobabad and Kashmore and will report to the chief minister after visiting other districts. “I think there has been no work on the bunds starting from Tori (Kashmore) to SM bunds (Thatta),” he said, adding that most of the breaches have yet to be filled.

The irrigation secretary said that 32 schemes worth Rs2 billion have been approved and work in Kashmore, Dadu, Larkana, Hyderabad and Thatta districts would start soon. The breaches would be plugged before the Kharif season starts, he promised, saying that the tenders for the projects would also be awarded ‘soon’.

Meeting at CM House

A meeting was held at CM House on Wednesday. Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said it is the responsibility of the irrigation department to ensure “the quality and durability of bunds”. He directed that all work must be completed on time.

Irrigation Secretary Muhammad Rafik Memon and Sukkur Barrage right bank chief engineer, Larkana, M Haroon Memon gave a briefing on the post-flood situation, including the areas where water is still standing and the progress of repairs.

Almost all affected districts have been cleared of water by now.

In most of the areas, people have cultivated and managed to raise rabi crops.

It was informed that 0.831 million acres was under water on November 12, 2010 and on February 1, the inundated area was only 0.016 million acres.

Repairs of stone aprons, stone pitching and strengthening of bunds have been carried out at a cost of Rs5078 million.

Fourteen schemes of western Sindh, Larkana and 12 schemes of Saifullah Magsi Branch Circle Larkana are being completed at a cost of Rs933 million.

Memon said that 31 new schemes would be initiated from February 17.

Meanwhile, DCOs of Shikarpur, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Larkana, Jacobabad, Kambar-Shahdadkot, Dadu, Jamshoro and Thatta presented a detailed review of work being carried out in their districts.

The project director of Programme for Monitoring Unit (PMU) presented a report on the verification of actual damages to breaches and work that has been undertaken so far.

The meeting was attended by Rehabilitation Minister Haji Muzzaffar Shujrah, Secretary to CM Ahmed Bux Narejo and DCOs of eight flood-affected districts.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2011.