KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday set timeline for removal of encroachments from the irrigation department properties, embankments, headworks and drainage systems.

He took this decision while presiding over a meeting held to prepare a plan to remove encroachments from irrigation department’s properties.

The meeting was attended by Irrigation Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal, Adviser on Law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah and other officials.

The meeting participants were told that the irrigation department infrastructure included three barrages, 14 canals, 109 branch canals, 509 distributaries and 902 minors.

It was stated that the total length of bunds spread over 875 miles of main embankments and 450 miles other.

The meeting participants were told that the length of the drainage network was measured at 837 miles.

The Sukkur Barrage command area has 361 drains with a length of 1,909 miles.

Kotri Barrage command area has 2,030 miles long 361 drains.

It was further informed that 110 drains of Left Bank Outfall Drain spread in Sukkur and Kotri Barrage with a length of 968 miles.

Guddu Barrage command area of Ghotki Feeder has five drains with a length of 4,970 miles and the under-construction RBOD-II has 170 miles of length.

The chief minister was told that the irrigation department had also some reservoirs such as 50 square km Keenjhar Lake, 100 square km Manchhar Lake and Chotiari.

He was further informed that out of 12,1201 encroachments, 38,634 had been removed and the remaining 103,591 would be removed.

The chief minister constituted a committee to identify government land under encroachment and suggest measures to vacate them.

Published in Dawn, Jannuary 3rd, 2021