SUKKUR: Several hundred men, women and children living in the villages scattered in a vast area near Bakshapur in Kandhkot-Kashmore district have been spending sleepless nights for a couple of weeks for fear of devastating flooding amid a constant rise in the level of Indus River.

The villagers told local reporters that they had alerted officials of irrigation department as well as other authorities concerned much before the onset of this monsoon pointing out that the K.K. Bund (flood protection dyke) was not strong enough to withstand more water pressure than it was facing these days.

They said that the authorities did respond to their call and held out the assurance that the dyke, raised in Badani, would be strengthened before the first spell of rainfall. However, they added, nothing was done in the next few weeks. Even after torrential rains in Punjab and northern areas of the country no one bothered to start the work though a rise in the Indus’ level was very much expected in late July.

Key protective bund remains under immense pressure, unattended

The villagers pointed out that considering the indifferent attitude of the officials concerned, they decided to undertake the dyke strengthening work on a self-help basis in order to protect their villages and farmland from possible devastation.

They regretted that the district administration did not move despite availability of stone-pitching material and the required machinery and manpower. They said stones and machinery were transported to the site but no one from the department or the administration turned up to carry out the work. “Ultimately, we had to start the work by ourselves using the material that had been dumped at the site”.

The villagers said that a few days back, Sohail Anwar Siyal — who took over as the minister for irrigation on Aug 5 — inspected the K.K. Bund and realised its vulnerability in the face of floods in the Indus.

They said Mr Siyal announced a big package costing millions of rupees for the dyke’s repair and strengthening work. But no change in the attitude of the irrigation and administration officials concerned was noted since then, they lamented.

“They have kept the stone-laden vehicles parked there; no one turns up to accomplish the task,” the villagers pointed out.

One of the villagers said that once a vehicle-load of stones were thrown next to dyke but only to make people believe that the work had been started. No further work was witnessed, he added.

In view of the growing panic in the area, Kandhkot-Kashmore Deputy Commissioner Munawwar Ali Mithiani also visited the site a couple of days back and tried to soothe villagers by saying that there was no immediate threat to the bund. He told local reporters that the people were afraid of a “hoax”.

The villagers, however, appeared not convinced and were proved right as a notification followed to warn them of possible floods in the area. They were advised to move to some safe place.

On Friday, a team of media personnel rushed to the site but the engineer concerned, Sharif Mugheri, declined to brief them about the situation when they told him to explain the flood alert or threat to the bund. He also avoided discussing the state of the bund.

The villagers gathered at the site criticised him and other irrigation officials for remaining in slumber until the worst approached. “They turn up only in the daytime and spend a few hours at the emergency camp set up here doing nothing,” the villagers claimed.

They appealed to the federal and Sindh governments to take immediate measures to avert possible devastation in the area as the K.K. Bund was currently under immense pressure of Indus and the threat was mounting with each passing day. More rainfall was also being forecast, they said.

They also called for appropriate action against the irrigation officials who demonstrated their usual slackness this time again.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2019