MIRPURKHAS: Disappointed by irrigation authorities’ state of indecision over giving a cut to the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) dyke to bring down the level of stagnant floodwaters in several hundred villages, some unauthorised people damaged the Jhuddo-Pangrio section of the dyke sometime during Monday night to clear their own villages and lands.

Puran Dhoro, a major irrigation channel, had got its dyke heavily damaged by immense pressure of deluge during last month’s downpours and caused widespread inundation in Jhuddo taluka. The marooned people had been asking the irrigation authorities to give the cut but influential figures and landowners of Tharparkar were strongly resisting any such move. The situation had been keeping the authorities in a state of indecision while hundreds of people from Mirpurkhas on the one side, and from Tharparkar and Badin districts on the other, held a sit-in for found days on Thar Coal Road and near Naokot press irrigation department on their respective stance.

Finally, some unauthorised people applied the cut on Monday night to create a big outlet facilitating heavy flows to fall into the LBOD. The floodwaters in Jhuddo taluka had receded by half foot till Tuesday evening and the level was constantly coming down. However, it ultimately deteriorated the situation of flooding in Pangrio and its surrounding areas in Badin district.

At the same time, Puran Dhoro’s natural breach continued to widen due to pressure of floodwaters. The level of stagnant water in parts of Jhuddo taluka, including Roshanabad, started rising and, as a result, dozens of more villages were submerged.

Sources said that the breach had already washed away a 500-foot portion of the dyke until Monday and the pressure further widened it by about 50 feet.

Nara Canal area water board’s director Mansoor Ahmed Memon along with other engineers and staff was busy monitoring the situation and supervising the breach plugging work.

Sensing a fresh threat to their lives and properties, villagers of the area started moving to safe places using boats.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2022