Tori bund breach: After five years, judicial commission’s recommendations yet to be implemented
Officials responsible for the tragedy were promoted, claims irrigation official
Officials responsible for the tragedy were promoted, claims irrigation official. PHOTO: REUTERS
KARACHI:
Despite the passage of five years, the Sindh government has yet to implement the recommendations of the judicial commission that probed the tragic Tori breach.
The commission, comprising retired judges Justice Zahid Kurban Alvi and Justice Ghulam Nabi Soomro, was constituted soon after the breach occurred in Kashmore district. The slack officials of the irrigation department and a decade of embezzled funds meant to strengthen the dykes were blamed in the Tori bund commission’s report that also suggested removing the encroachments in the river belt or near the bund - all in vain.
“The breach caused unprecedented loss to lives, property and agriculture on the right side of River Indus in 2010,” said a senior official of the irrigation department. “Millions of people were displaced, but negligent officials responsible for the tragedy were promoted instead of being punished.” According to him, hardly any of the judicial commission’s recommendations has so far been honoured.
In its findings, the report pointed out that various crops were being cultivated in the middle of the riverbed. “This all should be stopped and leases issued for land inside the river must be cancelled,” stated the report. The commission further expressed dismay over forest land that was destroyed and given to various parties over time by successive governments for cultivation purpose.
“The massive deforestation on either side of River Indus is also said to be one of the reasons for the devastation caused by the flood,” said the report, adding that no change can take place and development budget will go in vain if the dykes are not wired in light of bund manual references. Moreover, the report had recommended the introduction of disaster management programmes in all education institutions as part of the curriculum. It criticised the role of civil defence and suggested to reactivate the system to deal with all types of emergencies.
“Initially, the officials held responsible for the breach, including Guddu barrage chief engineer Zafarullah Mahar, were given show-cause notices,,” said official sources. “But later they were appointed on important positions and a few were even promoted from assistant executive engineers to executive engineers.”
They added that influential people belonging to various parties still cultivate crops inside the river from Kashmore to Thatta district. “Elected representatives, police officers and bureaucrats own the land inside the riverbed where they have also built farmhouses. Who will then take action?” said sources privy to the development.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Justice Alvi said that the commission fulfilled its responsibility by submitting the report that took around nine weeks to be made. “It is now the government’s job to implement the recommendations in the report,” he said.
Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, the newly appointed minister for irrigation, however, was satisfied and said, “The government has implemented the recommendations of the report by strengthening the Tori and SM bunds and all the dykes of the river that fall in Sindh,” he said, adding that while the previous governments had not given attention to the dykes, the Pakistan Peoples Party government has spent billions of rupees for the purpose. “Now, nothing will happen to the dykes,” he said, adding that the government is confident about the smooth crossing of flood and super flood through the Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 27th, 2015.
Despite the passage of five years, the Sindh government has yet to implement the recommendations of the judicial commission that probed the tragic Tori breach.
The commission, comprising retired judges Justice Zahid Kurban Alvi and Justice Ghulam Nabi Soomro, was constituted soon after the breach occurred in Kashmore district. The slack officials of the irrigation department and a decade of embezzled funds meant to strengthen the dykes were blamed in the Tori bund commission’s report that also suggested removing the encroachments in the river belt or near the bund - all in vain.
“The breach caused unprecedented loss to lives, property and agriculture on the right side of River Indus in 2010,” said a senior official of the irrigation department. “Millions of people were displaced, but negligent officials responsible for the tragedy were promoted instead of being punished.” According to him, hardly any of the judicial commission’s recommendations has so far been honoured.
In its findings, the report pointed out that various crops were being cultivated in the middle of the riverbed. “This all should be stopped and leases issued for land inside the river must be cancelled,” stated the report. The commission further expressed dismay over forest land that was destroyed and given to various parties over time by successive governments for cultivation purpose.
“The massive deforestation on either side of River Indus is also said to be one of the reasons for the devastation caused by the flood,” said the report, adding that no change can take place and development budget will go in vain if the dykes are not wired in light of bund manual references. Moreover, the report had recommended the introduction of disaster management programmes in all education institutions as part of the curriculum. It criticised the role of civil defence and suggested to reactivate the system to deal with all types of emergencies.
“Initially, the officials held responsible for the breach, including Guddu barrage chief engineer Zafarullah Mahar, were given show-cause notices,,” said official sources. “But later they were appointed on important positions and a few were even promoted from assistant executive engineers to executive engineers.”
They added that influential people belonging to various parties still cultivate crops inside the river from Kashmore to Thatta district. “Elected representatives, police officers and bureaucrats own the land inside the riverbed where they have also built farmhouses. Who will then take action?” said sources privy to the development.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Justice Alvi said that the commission fulfilled its responsibility by submitting the report that took around nine weeks to be made. “It is now the government’s job to implement the recommendations in the report,” he said.
Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, the newly appointed minister for irrigation, however, was satisfied and said, “The government has implemented the recommendations of the report by strengthening the Tori and SM bunds and all the dykes of the river that fall in Sindh,” he said, adding that while the previous governments had not given attention to the dykes, the Pakistan Peoples Party government has spent billions of rupees for the purpose. “Now, nothing will happen to the dykes,” he said, adding that the government is confident about the smooth crossing of flood and super flood through the Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 27th, 2015.