Water channel repairs fail to meet expectations in Badin

Despite substantial funds allocated for flood-affected areas, steps for restoration remain limited, say locals

BADIN:

Despite receiving billions of rupees in annual funding from the Sindh government, the irrigation department has yet to repair the water channels in the coastal and flood-affected areas of the district, according to local social circles of Badin.

Residents of the area report that both small and large drainage canals, including the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) and Puran Nadi, remain in disrepair. The embankments are weak and unsafe, posing a serious flood risk ahead of the upcoming rainy season.

Two years ago, illegal encroachments and obstructions on the Puran Nadi's natural watercourse caused extensive damage. Although billions of rupees were allocated for restoration in the flood affected areas, only limited practical steps have been taken so far.

The incomplete excavation and cleaning of drainage canals, coupled with substandard repairs of the embankments, heighten the risk of breaches during the monsoon rains. The coastal areas of Badin district, adjacent to Tharparkar, Umerkot, and Mirpurkhas, have faced severe economic losses in agriculture and fishing, as well as the loss of human lives and livestock in 2022 floods. The devastation is attributed to the poor construction and maintenance of the LBOD, the region's largest drainage canal.

Furthermore, over the past three years, billions of rupees have been spent on the LBOD project, with over six billion rupees allocated this year alone.

The work has been substandard, slow, and frequently interrupted, with influential personalities and officials backing contractors, leading to a lack of accountability.

According to anonymous irrigation department sources, a significant portion of the funds released over the past three years has been lost to corruption which has resulted in project delays.