HYDERABAD, Oct 30: Speakers at a conference on Thursday called for stopping work on the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD-III) project, which they feared, would inundate Shahdadkot town and urged re-assessment of the mega project by internationally acclaimed experts.

The conference on “RBOD-III impact – change RBOD-III design – save Shahdadkot”, which was organised by Joint Action Committee for People’s Rights, adopted a number of resolutions, calling for change in alignment of RBOD-III near Shahdadkot, compensation for the affected land and stopping work on the drain as per directive of MNA Faryal Talpur.

The conference observed that Wapda launched the RBOD without consulting local people and the mega project risked causing destruction to Qambar, Shahdadkot, Dadu, Jamshoro and Thatta.

Ishaq Mughairi from Shahdadkot said that RBOD-III posed serious danger to the town if its construction along present alignment continued. MNA Faryal Talpur had called for stopping work on the project after detailed deliberations in Larkana attended by irrigation and Wapda officials but it resumed after a short interval, he informed.

Saline water from Balochistan would be disposed of into RBOD-III, which was likely to inundate whole of Shahdadkot town if its alignment was not changed, he feared.

Its alignment had been changed when Zafarullah Jamali was prime minister and as per new design, a siphon had been dug up at RD-116 of Kheerthar branch and another at Saifullah Magsi branch at RD-124 around four kilometre to the north of Shahdadkot, he said.

He said that they had strongly opposed creation of siphon at RD-124 and proposed that the old route of saline water through Hair Din drain should be adopted.

In the past, around 18,400 acres land irrigated by Rabi minor had been destroyed and people had been deprived of potable water in that area, he said.

He said that Wapda officials had no answer to their objections because they had prepared their figures and designs while sitting at home. “Growers have rejected this drain,” he said.

He said that they implored the officials not to give a go-ahead to the plan just for the sake of commission.

The siphon could carry 2,000 cusec of effluent but Wapda officials insisted that it would carry 765 cusec only, he said.

Nazeer Memon said that Wapda had not learnt any lessons from the destruction caused by the LBOD.

He said that now the capacity of RBOD was being increased and authorities would not dare stop work because it was being built by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).

Hussain Bux Thebo said that the RBOD was being built quite parallel to the River Indus and its seepage was bound to affect the river water. Not only the river, but it would also affect people living in the vicinity of the river and land, he feared.

He called for reassessment of RBOD by international engineering experts and said that the drain must have double lining. False environmental impact assessment (EIAs) reports had been prepared for the project to persuade international donors not fund it, he claimed.

Ishaq Mangio said that under the National Drainage Programme, Sindh was nothing but a drain for disposing of upcountry’s effluent.