The Sindh Irrigation Department has issued show-cause notices to irrigation officials, whose neglect may have caused a breach in Tori dyke last year.
On the directives of the Supreme Court, the irrigation department issued notices to two chief engineers of Guddu and Kotri barrages, Zafarullah Mahar and Manzoor Shaikh, respectively, along with two executive engineers, sub-division engineers, engineers and lower staff members. Irrigation secretary Khalid Ahmed Memon confirmed this with The Express Tribune.
Dismissing media reports that these officials were removed, Memon said, “We have issued notices to [the officials] to explain their position against the findings of the federal flood commission’s report. Action may be taken against them if they fail to justify the allegations levelled against them,” he clarified.
The federal flood commission was looking into the breaches at Tori and SM bunds on the directives of the Supreme Court. It submitted its report a few days ago, in which it said that the officials failed to supervise the embankments — which is against the rules of the bund manual and constitutes negligence on their part.
The report said that despite the forecast of super floods, these officials failed to take measures to strengthen the sensitive points, including Tori and SM bunds. The weak embankments swept away several settlements on the right side of the Indus River, all the way from Kashmore to Thatta.
“The officials of Guddu Barrage were available at Tori Rest House, which is located at a short distance from where the breach occurred, but they did not bother to reach the location,” the notice said, quoting a finding of the report.
After the devastating floods last year, the Sindh government had also constituted a judicial commission, under the supervision of a retired judge of the Sindh High Court. In his findings, this commission also claimed that the irrigation officials were negligent.
The government failed, however, to take strict action against them and merely transferred them from their posts.
Meanwhile, there were reports that the irrigation department had referred a case to the Anti-Corruption Department to start an investigation against the then department secretary, Shuja Junejo, who was posted at the time of the floods. Memon did not, however, confirm the news. “The case could have been referred to the anti-corruption (department) by the chief secretary. I am not aware about it,” he said.
Despite several attempts, The Express Tribune could not immediately reach the chief engineers of Guddu and Kotri barrages for comment.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2011.
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