It has asked a foreign consultancy firms, hired to prepare a master plan for drain network in the area and strengthening the Left Bank Outfall areas, to expedite its work. Another firm has been hired to identify ancient natural routes of drainage so that they may be restored.
One of the firms, Louis Berger (LB) has been hired to conduct a study on a master plan for a drainage network in the areas located on the left bank of the river and the impact of drains on Indus delta and coastal region of the province. The study will be completed by the end of 2013.
Besides, the government through a short term strategy plans to strengthen sections of the LBOD and ensure its de-weeding before next monsoon.
The government wants the consultants to examine findings of different inspections carried out from time to time of the LBOD that has played havoc in a number of districts on left bank of River Indus during heavy monsoon rains. The consultants have been asked to examine all the documents and findings pertaining to the LBOD available with the irrigation department and Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority.
“The consultants will look at the documents before submitting their study,” secretary irrigation Khalid Hyder Memon told Dawn. He said that they were interacting with affected people mostly from Badin district which had bore the brunt of breaches in the drain and its reverse flow.
However, some participants are not happy with the proceedings of the meetings and said that the process lacked seriousness. “Only a cursory look at the issues cannot solve the problems and a threadbare discussion is needed in this regard”, said a participant, adding that several participants had raised such objections in the meeting.
The secretary said that the study basically dealt with a master plan of a drainage network in the areas located on left bank of the river.
Besides, he said, another consultancy firm — the Associated Consultants Engineering (ACE) — had been asked to evolve a short term strategy on the drainage issue by identifying old paths of drainage on the basis of which the department would take some initiatives.
Referring to encroachments in the bed of drains, he said: `If required, some structures will be dismantled with the permission of the government.
At a recent meeting in Karachi, President Asif Ali Zardari has been briefed about the study. Initial phase of the study has been completed during which meeting were held with the people of the affected areas to seek their input.
The ACE has been given the task to identify routes of old drains so that they can be cleared of encroachments before next monsoon if possible. The Sindh irrigation department is working on the draft of an anti-encroachment law and its summary has been submitted to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah for approval.
According to the irrigation secretary, the LBOD is now having normal flow and disposing of water into Arabian Sea. He said that breaches in the drain had been plugged and there was no backflow of water from the sea into the LBOD.
“We plan to strengthen the existing drain network to prevent repeat of this year`s devastation. We have asked the ACE to prepare a short term plan in four to five months and asked the LB to submit its findings as soon as possible although the study is to be completed in three years”, he said.
Water expert Naseer Memon said that in view of recent experiences, the terms of reference of Louis Berger needed to be reviewed. “There should be in-depth assessment of all issues involving the LBOD and people affected by breaches in it,” said Memon, who is a member of the Sindh government`s steering committee that oversees the study.
He said that the study had become significant in the wake of destructions caused by heavy rains. “The routes of the LBOD remain blocked and the study must look into it seriously,” he said.
According to Mr Memon, the study should be more focussed on problems caused by the LBOD now as the consultants could obtain first hand information about destruction caused by the drain during recent rains. “They can also examine alternative options for drainage” he said.
Former secretary of irrigation Idrees Rajput — who was nominated by President Zardari in a meeting as a member of a committee on the LBOD — still awaits issuance of a notification to this effect.
“I have not been officially assigned any job but whenever irrigation officials invite me for discussion, I always take part in them in the interests of Sindh,” said Mr Rajput.
About the study, he said that he had advised a representative of the consultancy firm to go into field in the wake of the disaster caused by rains. “I told him not to merely rely on satellite imageries and conduct physical inspection of the affected sites to ascertain how the LBOD has been causing damage in the area”, he said.
The Dawn
