0
SANGHAR, July 29: The Left Bank Outfall Drain officials continue to release water in the drain from Jamrao Canal at its head regulator though the drain has played havoc in district Badin during the recent rains.
Due to high tide and rains, the sea is not accepting the LBOD water as a result Several breaches have occurred in the overflowing drain which have inundated a large number of villages and hundreds of houses.
When this correspondent visited the escape regulator at the 43rd mile of Jamrao Canal on Monday, the LBOD looked like a canal there as its gate was raised and gushing water was going into the drain.
The LBOD was built only for draining out underground water through hundreds of tube-wells and allowing irrigation or rain water to flow into it may damage the drain.
When the LBOD officials were contacted by telephone, no one was available despite repeated attempts.
RESERVOIR NOT BEING FILLED: While all the water reservoirs in the country are filled or being filled, the Sindh irrigation department has failed to fill the only water reservoir of the province, Chotiari Reservoir.
Due to heavy rains, the farmers have closed their watercourses and water flow of channels has been diverted to barren lands but the irrigation officials have done nothing to store the water in the reservoir.
The Chotiari Reservoir, spread over 100 square kilometres, has a capacity of 80,7000 acre feet water and can irrigate 290,000 acres of land in Sanghar and Mirpurkhas districts.
Small Growers Association general secretary Hassan Askari told this correspondent that if water was stored in the reservoir, it could be utilized at the end of current Kharif and during next Rabi season.
