HYDERABAD: Speakers have described the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) project as harmful for Sindh.

If adequate measures were not taken, Badin and Thatta would become history by 2050, they said, adding that devastations caused by the LBOD had been widespread so far.

They were speaking at the launching of a book “LBOD: hik maha afat” (LBOD — a big calamity) written by Allah Bachayo Jamali, at the local press club on Sunday.

Speaking on the occasion, Qaumi Awami Tehrik (QAT) leader Rasool Bux Palijo paid tributes to Jamali for exposing falsehood of the World Bank and other powers. The US always wanted to make other countries subservient to it, he added.

He said that nobody had written on the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD), who created it and what happened to it afterwards. It was only the QAT in the country which could take all other forces along with it, but some elements wanted to see it (QAT) being eliminated. He said Sindh’s rulers were busy in corruption.

The author shared his experience of writing this book and complained that journalists were on the frontline to oppose it. But he was delighted on its publication.

He said that if steps were not taken to avoid destructions caused by LBOD, Thatta and Badin would be wiped out from the map of Sindh by 2050, for they would be devoured by sea. Advocating the book’s point of view, writer Dastagir Bhatti said the present rulers were agents of imperialist forces; they were busy in looting resources. These forces should be opposed with one voice now and people of Sindh should organise themselves at local level to own their resources as Sindh demanded sacrifices.

Ishaq Mangrio, Ashfaq Memon, Dr Alam Din Ansari, Ismail Kumbhar and Iqbal Hyder also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2015

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