The Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) has expressed serious concerns over the lacklustre response of the government to the plight of the rain-affected people of lower districts of Sindh including Badin, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas and Tando Allahyar. The rain-hit people have been rendered shelter-less due to breaches in irrigation and drainage canals including the Left Bank Outfall Drain and Sim Nullah. In a statement issued on Wednesday, PILER declared that the recent floods as a manmade disaster that took place because of the failure of the government to develop structures to prevent it. PILER demanded that the government should take swift measures to drain out rainwater, provide adequate relief assistance and compensation to the affected people and take stern action against the officials responsible for breaches in the canals. “The controversial World Bank funded LBOD has been criticised repeatedly for its faulty design that has caused immense destruction in the past as well, particularly in case of cyclones and floods. This year, breaches developed in the LBOD – the biggest saline nullah of Asia – causing water to inundate more than 100 villages,” PILER said in the statement. According to media reports, due to overflowing and reverse flows in the LBOD, there are more breaches and flooding expected in the area. This is not the first time that the LBOD has severely affected and displaced the population of Badin. The 1999 cyclone, 2003 monsoon and 2006 rains caused overflows and breaches that displaced the population of district and its adjacent areas and also caused loss of lives. Critics have repeatedly pointed out significant technical mistakes in the designing of the tidal link embankments and the Choleri Weir that exposes the local communities to extreme vulnerabilities when heavy rainfall inland and high tides coincide.
this damage could have been reduced particularly in mirpurkhas district by better coordinatin between LBOD and arrigation official.it is high time now that these people must start working in teams instead blaming each other and working in isolation.the ,unplanned and extra discharge from Mithrao canal was diverted by SDO Samaro through khani escape right in the amid of heavy rain fall thus raising LBOD abnormaly and decreasing water level in Mithrao canal by 3 ft,they made canal structure safe at the cost of thousand acres crops somany stranded people and disaster in Badin,it could have been managed,every time it is next time,just lack of coordination and iresponsible attitude otherwise we all know schedule of monson.i donot know why we canot make use of weather forecast system,inform the people,plan evacaution and soon,above making official responsible for this neglect
I fully agree with above comments, in addition
LBOD was designed to carry Saline water from Nawabshah, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas and Badin districts. Water Logging and Salinity was a major Problem after commencement of Irrigation system and worsened in 80’s, due to increased agriculture as well as Human Population. It was not meant/ designed to carry Industrial as well as Municipal waste. No engineering project is perfect without proper operation and maintenance, which is the basic problem of LBOD; it has not been owned uptill now.
Still with proclaimed Design Flaws it is continuously discharging almost 20,000 cusecs Flood and Rain water, whereas its design capacity is only 4000 cusecs. Lands claimed to be encroached by Sea in fact are Flat Tidal Plains of Run of Kutch, In Dry Seasons they become Dry with Salt Layer, in Wet Seasons they become wet marshy plains. Before LBOD, Cultivated Area of Badin district was not above 0.2 million Hectare; after LBOD, it has crossed 0.3 million Hectare mark (Reference Agriculture Department GoSindh Statistics). Before LBOD, there was only one Sugar Mill, now 8 Sugar Mills are working there in Badin District. Cotton Crop does not belong to Badin but after LBOD, and Land Reclamation Cotton Cultivation has started and the Cultivated Area has expanded.
We must refer LIP 1966 report where under ground water of Badin and Thatta is investigated and reported as saline and not suitable for aquifer/ cultivation. Tidal link passes through Run of Kutch (Internationally acclaimed Wet Land) and have several breaches there, but it acts as a natural stream as part of Run of Kutch Area, that is naturally not suitable for agriculture, after LBOD it has transformed into Wet Land. Due to Tidal Connection with Kadhan Pateji Dhand Complex, Fresh Water Fisheries that used to flourish only in paddy season due to Kotri Barrage Drainage System are replaced with Estuarine Fish and Prawns that continues for whole year.
In present scenario, after the heaviest rains of the century, LBOD is the only way out for this huge quantity of Water, and only hope to get our Agriculture lands on Left Bank of Indus evacuated with in 20 to 30 days.
All the plans needs “will” for implementation; otherwise there are several Feasibility Reports on board but funding is an issue. Due to negative behavior and exaggeration of facts no donor agency is willing to invest on Drainage Projects in Sindh, and without drainage we will be continuously facing difficulties and problems. At the same time, we should also demand for proper Operation & Maintenance of LBOD System, which due to our unnecessary opposition is somehow undermined. Decommissioning is not a solution but will add to the problem.
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