DADU, June 21: The Nazims and inhabitants of the Kachho area have complained on Thursday that substandard material has been used in the repair work of Nain Gaj Nala from Zero Point to RD-31 and expressed fear that the rain would erode its wall.

On Thursday, a team of journalists visited the Nain Gaj Nala and saw that repair work at the Nain Gaj Nala had not been carried out properly.

It was seen that the wall of the Nain Gaj Nala was in the worst condition and if it rains heavily, it would be unable to sustain the pressure and the wall would be washed away resulting in the Kachho area being inundated.

Terath Bhit is a sensitive point at Nain Gaj. When it rains heavily in the mountainous area, water gathers at Zero Point from where it flows to the Manchhar Lake.

The Nazim, Union Council Tore, Nazir Ahmed Leghari, told journalists that on the demand of the inhabitants of the Kachho area, the Sindh government had released Rs30 million for the repair work of the Nain Gaj Nala.

He regretted that substandard material had been used in the repair work of the Nala and a huge amount had been embezzled.

He said that he had complained to the district Nazim and senior officials of the irrigation department to supervise the work, but they had not taken any serious notice.

The Nazim, Union Council Chhinni, and the district president, Chamber of Agriculture, Ghulam Ali Shahani, said that in 1995 substandard material was used in repairing the Nain Gaj, which resulted in hundreds of houses being destroyed, and numerous people and cattle heads being killed in the Kachho area.

He said some part of the mountainous area had received rainfall and there was a four-feet flow in the Nala.

He said that if repair work was not carried out properly, the situation was likely to worsen with more rainfall.

He complained that irrigation officers had issued cheques to the contractors without their completing the work.

He did not rule out involvement of some senior officials of the irrigation department in misappropriation of repair funds, because no official had bothered to visit the site despite a large number of complaints being sent to them.

Wafa Birhamani, head of an NGO, said that repair work carried out at Nain Gaj from Zero Point to RD-31 was very poor.

He said that work at the main points of Nain Gaj including its walls had not been carried out properly and substandard material was used at all sensitive places.

On being contacted, the executive engineer, irrigation, Dadu, Habibullah Kabooro, said that the mountainous areas had received rain on Wednesday night and the water flow at the Nain Gaj was about four feet.

He said that the repair work from Zero Point to RD-31 had been completed through eight contractors.

He said if the water level in the Nain Gaj rises upto 28 feet, there would be a 1995-like situation in the area, when the area was heavily flooded.

He suggested that remodelling of the Nain Gaj Nala, Flood Protective Bund and Gaj Diversion Bund should be started soon to avert disaster.

He said that the irrigation department and Nespak had completed survey of remodelling work of the Nain Gaj and Flood Protective Bund.

He said that Rs180 million have been demanded in the PC-1 for remodelling the Nain Gaj and flood protective bunds in their entirety.

He said that the maximum expected flow of water was 300,000 cusecs raising the water level to 28 feet.

He said that in 1995, the water flow was over 300,000 cusecs, which had washed away all the repair work done at the Nain Gaj Nala.