Blocking the water flow: Enlist the army’s help if needed to remove encroachments says CM
“If necessary, the help of Pakistan Army can be sought to resolve the problem,” he said while presiding over a meeting with irrigation minister, Jam Saifullah Dharejo, irrigation secretary, Khalid Haider Memon, Brigadier Anas Asad, the general manager south of Water and Power Development Authority (water wing), Muhammad Javed Riar, and former secretary of irrigation Idrees Rajput. Sindh Chief Secretary Raja Muhammad Abbas was also present at the meeting.
Shah said that action has to be taken against all illegal encroachers, irrespective of how influential they are. The panel informed the chief minister that that Digri and Jhudo tehsils are still submerged. Rain water is being drained from Umarkot via Naukot, through spinal drains into the Shakoor Dadh Lake.
The Phuleli-Guni Outfall Drain, Dhoro-Puran Outfall Drain, and spinal drains are old water channels and overflowed because of breaches in the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD). Most of the problems occurred in drains, not in canals, they said. Shah said that old water channels should be restored to maintain a smooth flow of water for them. He ordered that water should be drained from Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Jhudo, Shahdadpur, Tando Adam, and other cities. “Water is being drained from Shaheed Benazirabad and Badin, where the situation will be normal soon,” he said.
The rain water should be put to use and reservoirs should be constructed to supply water to Thar, he added.
Idrees Rajput emphasised the need to drain water from all the areas. The second priority, he said, should be to reclaim the cultivable land. “The designed capacity of LBOD is 11,714 cusecs of water,” said Rajput. “Around 14,000 cusecs were released into it which created the problems.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2011.
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