Landowners accused of diverting floods to villages

Haroon called for an inquiry into claims that embankments had been allowed to burst to protect commercial crops.


Afp September 02, 2010
Landowners accused of diverting floods to villages

ISLAMABAD: Wealthy landowners have allegedly diverted waters from the country's devastating floods away from their own properties and into villages, Pakistan's UN ambassador said Thursday.

Abdullah Hussain Haroon called for an inquiry into claims that embankments had been allowed to burst to protect commercial crops.

"Over the years, one has seen with the lack of floods, those areas normally set aside for floods have come under irrigation of the powerful and rich," Haroon told the BBC's HardTalk programme. "It is suggested in some areas, those to be protected were allowed, had allowed, levies to be burst on opposite sides to take the water away. If that is happening the government should be enquiring."

A month of catastrophic flooding has killed 1,760 people and affected more than 18 million, according to the UN, and large areas of Pakistan, especially in the southern province of Sindh, remain under water. More than 3.6 million hectares (8.9 million acres) of productive farmland have been destroyed by the floods.

COMMENTS (1)

Shahryar Ahmed | 14 years ago | Reply What can one expect from a govt. full of selfish people. I don’t blame these landowners / industrialists turned politician, the blame lies solely on the people of Pakistan. People like all of us who vote & elect these incompetent & corrupt criminals in name of democracy. These people (BB, AZ, NS, SS, CS) & their cronies only work & think for themselves & not for the people of this country. They come into power to make money & then protect it for their children. Palaces in France, Spain, UK, Flats (Park Lane) & Prime Properties in Central London & millions & millions of foreign currency sitting in various numbered accounts in the banks of Zurich, Cayman Island & lord know where is all they love, live & die for & make fools of people saying patriotic songs of democracy. Democracy cannot work until we have 10 times more illiterate & enslaved (by Landowners & language/cultural/ethnic biases) than literate and people above all these biases. This should end if we need Pakistan to survive. Land reforms are a must. Pakistan will not survive god forbid another flood of this magnitude. All Hail Democracy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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