2010 Flood report: Culprits promoted rather than punished

Report also declares visits of Shahbaz Sharif and other VIPs as counterproductive to the flood relief activities

LAHORE:

Punjab government has not implemented the recommendations of the Judicial Commission set up to investigate the 2010 floods. If the proposals had been followed the losses in the current deluge could have been minimised.

The judicial commission under Lahore High Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had pinned responsibility of the colossal losses caused by the 2010 floods on the Punjab irrigation Department. The report used strong words to highlight the criminal negligence of the government departments.

The report also declared the visits of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other VIPs as counterproductive to the flood relief activities.

The report demanded the Punjab government to put an end to ‘landlord dams’ which powerful landowners build according to their liking without considering future consequences.

“There is no law to regulate farming in riverbeds,” the report said quoting a senior member of the Punjab Board of Revenue. The commission also proposed a ban on construction in areas close to the rivers.

The commission laid stress on saving lives instead of protecting infrastructure. “Human lives are more important than bridges and barrages,” it said recommending early flood warning system and a modern forecast set-up.

“Provincial authorities should alert the people as soon as they get flood warning,” the report said. The breaches in dykes should be made in consultation with the local people.

Meanwhile, officials that the commission declared responsible for the flood chaos were given promotions instead of punishments, it emerged.

The report pinned blame of the 2010 flood situation on the then secretary irrigation Rab Nawaz and two chief engineers Rao Arshad and Abdul Qadir and recommended filing of criminal cases against them.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2014.