LARKANA: Villagers living near vulnerable Hakra dyke of the Indus river, 24 kilometres from here, have expressed fear that ongoing work on the reinforcement of the dyke is too slow to outpace rapid rise in the river level and resultant erosion of the embankment, posing a serious threat to human settlements and important installations.

They demanded the pace of work should be stepped up to ward off the looming danger.

The dyke became vulnerable during 2016 floods when the river was changing its course from left to right bank, exerting pressure on the embankment. The irrigation department had to take emergency measures to save the area, said an official of the department.

“The mighty Indus is once again on the constant rise amid low-flood and the water current is hitting the dyke at 90 degree angle, which can be quite dangerous,” said Athar Dhamraho, an official posted at the site to supervise ongoing dyke-strengthening work.

Mohammad Fraeed Hulio, a villager, complained the pace of work was painfully slow but the irrigation officials disputed him saying 30 to 35 trucks were dumping stones at the site daily to reinforce it. However, the pace of work did seem slow as compared to rapid rise in the river level.

About half a kilometre long section of the dyke was assessed as weak which was being constantly hit and eroded by strong currents. “Sometimes the swollen river roars like a lion, causing our heartbeat to race,” said villagers sitting on a cot in an autaq near the dyke.

The Sindh government has sanctioned Rs910 million funds for constructing three spurs of different sizes to strengthen the embankment. Earlier, the Indus River Commission in its meeting held on Sept 30, 2015, had approved a proposal for stone-pitching and construction of spurs and submitted it to the Federal Flood Commission but unfortunately, it declined to approve it, said Munir Morio, executive engineer of Northern Dadu division.

Muhib Pirzado, social worker and member of district council, said that he had moved a resolution in the council calling for speeding up work on the dyke which was unanimously approved. Funds should be released immediately as it was the right time to get ready for flood, he added.

A big island which had developed in the middle of the river was also causing the pressure to mount on the right bank and so the dyke, thereby intensifying the threat, said villagers who called for working on spurs and stone-pitching simultaneously.

Mr Pirzado agreed with the villagers and said if any disaster struck it would cause damage to nearby Cadet College, Quaid-i-Awam University of Engineering and Technology and even ancient ruins of Moenjodaro. “It is the need of the hour to expedite the work and keep an eye on the river’s changing behavior,” he said.

Mr Dhamraho said: “We believe with the completion of all three spurs the river’s current will be deflected towards the left bank.”

The Sindh government had sanctioned the amount for the construction of three spurs but it had not yet released any amount, said sources in the irrigation department.

At first, the villagers were happy to see that work had finally started on the dyke’s reinforcement but their joy proved short-lived when they came to know that it would complete in three years, said the sources, adding that presently, the funds saved from different other heads were being utilized on the dyke.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2017