BADIN, March 27: Hundreds of people affected by the World Bank-funded Left Bank Outfall Drain project have threatened not to pay taxes if the government fails to meet their demands.
They demanded that LBOD’s head loan be written off and the amount should be released to implement rehabilitation work in the area.
They were speaking at people’s assembly on the Left Bank Outfall Drain and National Drainage Programme in Shaikhani Garhi village some 25km from here.
The programme was organized by the Save Coast Action Committee and Action Aid Pakistan on Sunday.
Civil society organizations, representatives of local government and academicians witnessed the assembly and passed judgement against violation of fundamental rights of the people of Badin district.
More than 40 men and women testified before the panellists.
The affected people said the LBOD was the biggest impediment to their right to development.
They said poverty in the area was an outcome of negative consequences of the project as it had caused a huge displacement, loss of livelihood sources, sea intrusion and degradation of wetlands, even death of humans, livestock and damage to standing crops and houses.
They said human and material cost was huge, as more than 32 people died during the year 2003, 50,000 acres of crop damaged, more than 100,000 people were displaced and about 12,000 fishermen lost their only source of livelihood.
They claimed about 10,000 acres land was inundated by seawater, diseases were common due to unsafe drinking water entire coastal population of the district was facing serious livelihood crises.
They said drains constructed under these projects made them more vulnerable and during any rainy season, their danger of loss of lives and meagre assets.
“We testify that majority of the people in coastal Badin do not have enough to eat thus they are facing serious problem of malnutrition and more vulnerable to disease and losses and threats of the projects are permanent,” they said.
They alleged the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) financed $1,021 million project LBOD and the money should be paid back with interest rate with economic cost of the wrong policy of the government.
They held responsible the World Bank, governments of Sindh and Pakistan for impoverishment and violation of human rights while their complaints and cries were not heeded.
The assembly proposed that the entire LBOD effluent be diverted to Dhoro Puran Outfall Drain, Kolri Creek and natural routes and Kadhan Pateji Outfall Drain be completely closed at RD-159.
All other sub-drains of the Kotri Barrage including Tando Bago, Lowari and Seerani drains should be let to outfall in Rann of Kachh through the KPOD at RD-00.
The panellists pointed out that the existing tidal link canal, which is main cause of sea intrusion and degradation of wetland, should immediately be de-linked.
They proposed that dykes should be constructed in between historical lakes and historical tide line, closing the mouth of the tidal link canal.
The ecology of the wetland should be restored and wetland should be brought on their original condition.
They suggested that the government of Pakistan and all the donor agencies including the World Bank, ADB should take the responsibility of problems and announce no further extension of the LBOD drains.
The assembly demanded short-term measures to compensate the losses which included to provide free of cost boats, nets, subsidized gasoline, livestock and seed and fertilizer at least for four agriculture seasons in order to cope with economic shocks suffered by the people.
They demanded that the World Bank and government of Pakistan should initiate a programme of employment for at least 2,000 to 3,000 people in the area on the emergency basis to protect the right to life and food.
They demanded that the Sindh government should announce immediately free fishing zone in the coastal area for fishermen and shelve the plan to auction or other mechanism on fishing in order to facilitate the majority of people.
Prof Nouman Ahmed of the Creed Alliance, Eli Ersalan of PILER, Mustafa Talpur of the Action Aid Pakistan, Mohsin Babbar of SDPI, Mushtaq Gaddi of Mouj, Islamabad, Dr Nawaz Hakro of the Quad-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Dr Ali Ahmed Rind, MPA Dr Sikandar Mandhro and Dr Akash Ansari also spoke on the occasion.
