CM orders pumping out water from towns

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, in consultation with the irrigation experts and army engineering corps, decided to plug the breaches occurred in Flood Protective (FP) and pump out water from the cities and towns of Khairpur and Naushehro Feroze districts to bring daily life back to normalcy.

"Since the flood and rainwater is receding in the Indus River, we have to develop a mechanism to drain out the stagnant water from cities." He said while presiding over a coordination committee meeting at the CM House.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, including Dr Azra Pechuho, Manzoor Wassan, Sharjeel Memon, Mukesh Chawla and Nasir Shah.

Karachi Administrator, Murtaza Wahab, Commissioner Karachi, Iqbal Memon; Secretary to CM, Rahim Shaikh; Secretary Livestock, Tamizuddin Khero; Secretary Works, Imran Atta; Secretary Rehabilitation, Asif Memon; Secretary irrigation Sohail Qureshi; Special Secretary, Irrigation, Jamal Mangan; DG PDMA, Salman Shah were also present in the meeting.

From Pakistan Army, Commodore Zeeshan, COS ComCoast, Brig Inam of Corps 5 and others also attended the meeting.

The chief minister, at the outset of the meeting, proposed to plug all the three breaches of FB bund so that its water instead of flowing into the nearby towns and villages start flowing into Manchhar lake which has also started discharging into the River Indus.

The experts from irrigation and army engineering corps discussed the matter threadbare and agreed with the chief minister to plug the breaches in the FP Bund.

It was pointed out that the condition of the bund was so feeble and precarious that machinery could not be moved there for plugging task. Therefore, the meeting decided to plug them manually by sending workforce and other required material.

Sukkur Barrage

Water level has reduced along FP Bund ranging from five to nine feet in upper reach of Saifullah and Rice Canal Division, while three to five feet in lower reach of Southern Dadu Division.

Water level along Suprio has also reduced about nine inches to two feet. Warah Canal level reduced from 6.5 to 5.2 feet. Water level in Dhamrah was flowing upward, now it is flowing into MNV and water level is continuously reducing.

Shahdadkot main drain and Miro Khan Main Drain level has lowered about one to two feet and is now flowing in RBOD-III. The Ghar Main Drain which was flowing in reverse is now flowing into MNV and its level has started reducing from two to three feet.

The Mehar Main Drain flowing in MNV and its level also reduced by about one foot.

KN Shah Main Drain flows in MNV and it has recorded a reduction by six inches. Overall water level is depleting in the upper areas of Taluka Qubo Saeed Khan, Shahdadkot, Kambar, Warah, Nasirabad.

Water level along Ring Bund of Mehar Town has also reduced by about eight inches.

The chief minister was also informed that there was a need of restoration of power connection at Ghaar Pumping Sation, KN Shah Pumping Station and Mehar Pumping Station in the areas of district Dadu so that flood water could be drained out of KN Shah and Mehar towns.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary to talk to the SEPCO chief for restoration of power connection to pumping stations.

Minister Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro who attended the meeting through video link from L.S Bund informed the chief minister that Khairpur and Naushehro Feroze cities and their nearby towns and villages were inundated.

At this, Advisor Manzoor Wassan pointed out that Kotdiji was most affected and facing complete inundation.

The chief minister said that the water from both the cities and their vicinity could only be pumped out through machinery.

The chief minister assigned the dewater task to concerned irrigation chief engineer and commissioner while the district administration, police and Rangers would extend all support.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2022.