KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday directed the irrigation department to ensure evacuation of floodwaters from all affected areas of the province by the end of this month so that displaced people could return to their homes and prepare their lands for Rabi crop.

“I am working day and night to ensure sowing of Rabi crops, particularly wheat, to avoid a famine-like situation next year; for this everyone in the agriculture and irrigation departments has to be my helping hand,” he said while presiding over a meeting on the disposal of floodwaters from cities, towns and farmlands.

The meeting was attended by Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Brigadier Nayar of the Engineering Corps, Provincial Disaster Management Authority director general Salman Shah and others.

Mr Shoro informed the meeting that Indus was flowing normally at Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri barrages whereas Manchhar Lake was also showing a drop in water level by 5.95 feet. He said the breaches at RD-169 (Chukhi) of FP Bund and RD-224 IP Side of Saifullah Magsi branch had been plugged, adding that work for mending the cut at RD-14 dyke of Manchhar Lake was in progress.

CM fears famine-like situation next year if Sindh missed Rabi crop

Chief Engineer Development-II Zarif Iqbal Khero told the meeting that water was receding from Left Bank Outfall Drain smoothly at about 1-2 decimals a day which would increase as time passed. He further said that a speedy evacuation of water from Sanghar district areas was witnessed as well as from Mirpurkhas district apart from Jhuddo taluka where the process was dependent on further reduction in LBOD’s RD-295 section.

He said receding of water from Tando Bago area of Badin district would take time because of a huge breach in Dhoro Puran. He said that acquisition of lands from their private owners was required to connect Tando Jan Mohammad drain to the Dhoro Puran for outflow.

The chief minister directed the Mirpurkhas deputy commissioner to ensure acquisition of the specified lands.

Mr Khero said that a separate channel leading to Dhoro Puran at Vango Patan (near RD-210) had been excavated and it had started disposing of water, especially of Naukot town.

The chief minister directed the irrigation department to clear the Roshanabad bridge in Mirpurkhas within the next four days so that it could be used for vehicular traffic.

He also directed the chief secretary to take National Highway Authority on board for clearing the Indus Highway at Toll Plaza.

Mr Shah directed the irrigation department to insert pipes under the road for the flow of water so that it could be used for traffic.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2022