CM orders clearing towns, villages of water

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has constituted committees under concerned chief engineers to drain out water from the flooded towns and cities located on right and left banks of River Indus so that life could be restored besides clearing agricultural lands for Rabi crop.

"The People living in the camps are in real pain and their pain could only be healed by sending them back to their homes and that would be possible only when water is cleared from their areas," he said while chairing a meeting at the CM House.

The meeting was attended by Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Brigadier Nayar of Crops -5 Engineering, Secretary to CM Raheen Shaikh, Secretary irrigation Sohail Qureshi, Special Secretary Irrigation Jamal, Chief Engineers Zareef Khero, and Mansoor Memon, and others.

Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Secretary Irrigation Sohail Qureshi, and chief engineer Zareef Khero gave a detailed presentation to the chief minister on the current position of the flood.

They mentioned that Indus is flowing normally at Guddu, Sukkur, and Kotri barrages. The water level of Manchhar Lake has reduced from RL-23.3 to RL 118.85, showing a reduction of 4.45 feet. The level of Dadu-Moro bridge and Amri Bridge has also shown a reduction of 9.4 feet and 7.7 feet respectively. Out of four cuts made into Larkana-Sehwan Bund, one has been plugged

Giving the current situation of inundation on the Right Side of Sukkur Barrage, the chief minister was informed that water level has reduced along FP Bund ranging from 8 to 11 ft in the upper reach of Saifullah and Rice Canal Division.

The water level along Suprio Bund has also reduced from 5 to 6 feet. Reduction along MNV at RD-194 has been recorded at about 2.9 ft, at RD 210 3.3 ft, and at RD-346 11 ft.

The Shahdadkot main drain and Miro Khan Main Drain level have also lowered by one to two feet and now flowing in RBOD-III.

The water level has reduced to around 5 feet at Mehar City Ring Bund while the KN Shah Main Drain is flowing in MNV and there is a reduction of 5 feet.

The water level at Johi Branch RD-67 (KN Shah Dadu Road) has also shown a reduction of 5.5 ft.

The most important is the complete reduction of water along the ring Bund of Bhan Saeedabad, therefore, the bund [ring] is being removed.

The CM directed the SCARP division of the irrigation department to deploy 15 dewatering machines, arrange excavators.

He also directed the energy department to talk to SEPCO to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to SCARP pumping stations.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2022.