ISLAMABAD, May 12: Sindh has sought Rs31 billion from the federal government and its urgent approval to terminate the Right Bank Outfall Drainage (RBOD) Canal into the sea at Gharo and not into Indus River at Sehwan to avoid risk of huge losses to the province’s agriculture.

Sources told Dawn on Friday that the Water and Power Development Authority had agreed to Sindh’s revised plan as it would save Indus water from being polluted by saline water which the canal is meant for.

No extra time will be needed for extending the canal to Gharo but the centre will have to meet the additional cost.

The project was delayed because of differences between the Sindh government and Wapda but now both have agreed on the technical and economic feasibility of the revised project.

“The present proposal of disposing saline effluent into River Indus will put to risk the entire command of Kotri Barrage over about three million acres. Besides, Hyderabad, Karachi and other towns draw their drinking water from canals off taking from Kotro Barrage. Disposing RBOD effluent into the river may jeopardise the health of about 15 million people who depend upon the drinking water supplies from River Indus,” Sindh authorities wrote to the Planning Commission.

They maintained that successful implementation of the project, resulting in reclamation of waterlogged and saline land, would lead to full development of agriculture over 4.3 million acres.

The disposal of saline effluent of the RBOD into sea near Gharo instead of into the river near Sehwan would save Manchar Lake from pollution, risk of damage to three million acres of Kotri Barrage command area and contamination of drinking water supplied to 15 million people, the sources said.

Currently, effluent from North Dadu Surface Drainage Project is being pumped into Main Nara Valley Drain, which falls into Manchar Lake. This, according to the Sindh government, is causing pollution in the lake with adverse affects on agriculture and fishery. With the completion of the Indus link, the effluent will be bypassed and the original function of the lake will be restored.

In the first stage, effluent from five units of 2,271 cusecs is to be disposed while in the Stage-II, effluent of 17 units generating a discharge of 3,525 cusecs will be disposed of through the revised plan submitted by the Sindh government.

This would provide relief to large areas on right bank of the river by draining its effluent into sea, the sources said. Farmers and fishermen of peripheral area of the Manchar Lake would benefit and a long-term advantage would accrue to lower Sindh with better drinking water and environment, they said.

The provincial government will acquire 10,332 acres for the project, for which Rs1.2 billion has to be spent.

There were 327 structures proposed in the approved PC-1 which will be increased to 571 in the revised PC-1. The structures include railway and road bridges and culverts, village road bridges, foot bridges, canal, channel and water course crossings, cross-drainage works and storm water inlets.