Not on the same page: Chief engineer claims repair of dykes to finish by June 30

Consultant says though the main bunds will be repaired, all work cannot be completed.

SUKKUR:

The chief engineer of Guddu Barrage, Qazi Zahoorul Hasnain, has claimed that 90 per cent of the work at Tori Bund has been completed, and all repairs of the bunds will be done by June 30. He said this while talking to the media on Tuesday.

However, former irrigation secretary Idrees Rajput, who is a consultant on the project, thinks otherwise. “I’m satisfied with the quality of work. But I’m not satisfied with the speed at which it is being executed,” he commented.

He said that the main bunds can be repaired by that date, but completing all the work would take longer. He also claimed that 85 per cent — instead of 90 per cent — of work has been done on Tori Bund, which is a complex of bunds including, Haibat bund, Makhwani bund, Ghoraghat bund and Ghouspur bund.

Meanwhile, the chief engineer said that he didn’t foresee any flood-like situation at least until June 15, and assured journalists that all the work would be finished by the deadline.

The protective embankment from Kashmore to Sukkur has been raised by five feet. “The area between Guddu and Sukkur barrage has been secured, while over 200 miles of repairs will be completed.” Sindh can be made secure from floods if the government approves six more projects that have been sent to it. He assured the media that the quality of repairs would ensure that bunds are strong enough to even face strong floods.

However, he evaded the question about the slow pace of work at certain places. The chief engineer had earlier claimed that those contractors who deliberately delay repair work would be blacklisted.

Sources claim that the work would have been completed by now had the contractors been efficient. But, sources add, almost all the contracts have been awarded on a political basis and, therefore, the contractors were working at a slow pace.

They also suggest that the pace has accelerated since the appointment of former irrigation secretary Idrees Rajput as a consultant. They say that it is now expected that the work at all the main bunds would be completed by June 30.

When informed about the chief engineer’s claim, Rajput seemed unconvinced. “The repair of main bunds, which are the first line of defence, will be completed on time. But repairs of the secondary line as well as canal linings cannot be completed,” he remarked.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2011.