Preventing flooding: Rangers and police to help clear blockages to Indus River flow
Naukot, Digri and Jhudo towns were built on the original course.
KARACHI:
How bad is the blockage of Sindh’s waterways? For starters, several towns have actually been built on the natural courses. That explains why they were flooded, says the Sindh irrigation minister.
He brought this up after a meeting on Saturday on removing these impediments to the flow of water in order to prevent flooding in the future. Three towns in Mirpurkhas district, Naukot, Digri and Jhudo towns in Tharparkar, and Umerkot districts are the settlements that worry the government.
The government will now seek the help of the police and Rangers to remove blockages and illegal construction from the waterways in Sindh, said minister Jam Saifullah Dharejo.
He had emerged from a meeting of the Indus River Commission (IRC) at his office. He admitted that it was a challenge for his department to begin work against encroachments. But the president has instructed him to make a plan to rehabilitate irrigation infrastructure and remove the blockages.
“People are making fun of our decision to act against encroachments,” he said. “But I assure you that strong action will be taken to remove illegal construction.”
Work is also being done to increase the capacity of the Left Bank Outfall Drain and the Right Bank Outfall Drain.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a loan soon and the money will be used to strengthen the embankments and irrigation infrastructure in Sindh. The federal government’s flood commission is responsible for allocating funds for the rehabilitation of waterways and will also pay back the ADB for its loan.
Dharejo also discussed the bill approved by the Sindh Assembly earlier in the week which increased the punishment for encroachment by 10 years with a fine of one million rupees.
The IRC has finalised a list of around 30 schemes which will be sent to Federal Flood Commission for approval.
While replying to a question the minister said that the Sindh government has been raising the issue of industrial effluent from Punjab ruining the agricultural land in Ghotki district. “We suggested that the Punjab government come up with a mechanism to treat the waste water before dumping it in Sindh. But they don’t pay heed to our advice,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2012.
How bad is the blockage of Sindh’s waterways? For starters, several towns have actually been built on the natural courses. That explains why they were flooded, says the Sindh irrigation minister.
He brought this up after a meeting on Saturday on removing these impediments to the flow of water in order to prevent flooding in the future. Three towns in Mirpurkhas district, Naukot, Digri and Jhudo towns in Tharparkar, and Umerkot districts are the settlements that worry the government.
The government will now seek the help of the police and Rangers to remove blockages and illegal construction from the waterways in Sindh, said minister Jam Saifullah Dharejo.
He had emerged from a meeting of the Indus River Commission (IRC) at his office. He admitted that it was a challenge for his department to begin work against encroachments. But the president has instructed him to make a plan to rehabilitate irrigation infrastructure and remove the blockages.
“People are making fun of our decision to act against encroachments,” he said. “But I assure you that strong action will be taken to remove illegal construction.”
Work is also being done to increase the capacity of the Left Bank Outfall Drain and the Right Bank Outfall Drain.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a loan soon and the money will be used to strengthen the embankments and irrigation infrastructure in Sindh. The federal government’s flood commission is responsible for allocating funds for the rehabilitation of waterways and will also pay back the ADB for its loan.
Dharejo also discussed the bill approved by the Sindh Assembly earlier in the week which increased the punishment for encroachment by 10 years with a fine of one million rupees.
The IRC has finalised a list of around 30 schemes which will be sent to Federal Flood Commission for approval.
While replying to a question the minister said that the Sindh government has been raising the issue of industrial effluent from Punjab ruining the agricultural land in Ghotki district. “We suggested that the Punjab government come up with a mechanism to treat the waste water before dumping it in Sindh. But they don’t pay heed to our advice,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 5th, 2012.