LARKANA: As water level at the Guddu and Sukkur barrages started rising on Friday and the irrigation department warned that a deluge of around 550,000 cusec was expected to pass through Sukkur barrage on Sept 17, the divisional authorities of Larkana, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad have intensified their efforts to persuade people living in the areas vulnerable to flood devastation to move to safe places.

Larkana Commissioner Dr Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo gave a 24-hour deadline to the inhabitants of the kutcha belt across the division to move to relief camps or some other safe places.

Speaking at a press conference at the Larkana press club on Friday evening, the commissioner said the population of the areas identified as vulnerable must move out by Sept 13, i.e. before the arrival of ‘high flood’ at Guddu.

He noted that the process of people’s shifting to safe places was still very slow despite issuance of alerts and warnings.

“If they did not heed the warnings, they will be driven to relief camps forcibly in order to avoid loss of human lives,” he declared.

According to irrigation officials in Sukkur, the water level at Sukkur barrage upstream is 103,000 cusec and downstream 49,000 cusec while at Guddu barrage it is 206,000 cusec upstream and 177,000 cusec downstream as recorded on Friday evening.

He said heavy machinery had been moved to the K.K Bund, Guddu, Chak, Akil-Agani, Jahly Kalwari and other vulnerable points while work at the Old Tori dyke, where 16 studs were being constructed, was in progress.

The Larkana commissioner said that the length of kutcha area along the Indus in Kashmore, Shikarpur and Larkana districts is about 505 kilometres. It has 441 big and small villages with an estimated population of 250,000 population.

“We have made arrangements to cope with a deluge of 900,000 cusec though Larkana division is likely to face 600,000 to 800,000 cusec deluge,” he said, adding that 24 union councils consisting of a total of 105 dehs in the kutcha lands could be affected by the flood.

He said that Pakistan Navy teams would remain stationed at Sukkur and move swiftly in an emergency situation for relief and rescue operations. Leaves of the staff of all relevant departments, had already been cancelled, he added.

He said the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) had provided two boats and 1,000 tents to each district.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Saifullah Abro was also present.Meanwhile, Sindh Revenue Minister Makhdoom Jamiluzzaman visited Matiari district and inspected river dykes at Bhanote on Friday.

The commissioner, along with PDMA chairman and director-general as well as irrigation officials, visited Nusrat Loop Bund and Shahani Ferry Point and received a briefing on flood preparedness.

He was informed that there were 45 ‘sensitive’ points and the population of kutcha lands in six districts had been asked to move to safe places.

He directed irrigation officials to ensure strengthening of embankments and get the work completed as soon as possible.

He asked the district administration to ensure shifting of kutcha area population to safe places quickly.

Matiari Deputy Commissioner Fayyaz Hussain Abbasi, irrigation executive engineer Ashiq Ali Dakhan and other officials were present.

The minister was informed that a deluge of 650,000 cusec was expected to pass through Matiari district between Sept 20 and 22. He asked the district administration to demolish all private bunds immediately.

Mr Dakhan told the minister that nearly 30,000 people were living in the kutcha area of Saeedabad taluka (12,000), Hala taluka (7,000) and Matiari taluka (11,000). He said they had been told to move out of the katcha areas.

In Khairpur district, thousands of villagers living in the kutcha lands of Gambat, Kingri, Khairpur and Sobhodero talukas seemed indifferent to flood warnings.

Speaking to this correspondent, most people in the vulnerable areas said they did not intend to move out of their villages come what may.

They said they would welcome the deluge if it was up to 700,000 cusec at Guddu or Sukkur barrage as the spillage would be beneficial to the kutcha land in terms of fertility and revitalisation.

“The flooding will refill our lakes, ponds and ditches, besides replenishing the subsoil water deposits,” a tiller said.

Another tiller said flooding would stay for a couple of weeks but would lead to the revitalisation of grazing fields. He said that apart from agriculture, people of the kutcha lands earn through fishing and the flooding would bring in fish stocks. Replenished ponds would also give a natural boost to fishing, he added.

The villagers shrugged off the threat to their lives, properties, assets and animals. They said another reason for their reluctance to move to safe place was unavailability of grazing fields for their cattle there.

“Cattle provide us the main source of livelihood and the kutcha lands have the grazing fields,” they argued.

Many of the villagers said that their houses had been destroyed by the 2010 super flood but they had reconstructed them by now.

A former UC nazim having his house and lands in the katcha area said the local population had their own assessment of upcoming flood and the level of possible devastation. The assessment and estimation are based on experience and knowledge, according to him.

“They always rely on their own assessment and that’s why they do not heed to flood warnings,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2014