NAWABSHAH, May 13: Waterlogging and salinity caused by seepage from nearby canals and the Left Bank Outfall Drain have rendered more than 5,000 acres of agricultural land virtually uncultivable in different parts of the district, a survey finds.

The survey conducted by this scribe on Sunday said that seepage of water from Rohri and Nusrat canalc, which irrigated thousands of acres, had had the worst impact on lands in the union councils of Hamal Faqir, Kumb Leema, Jam Saheb, 60-Miles, Khair Shah and Chanesar-I and parts of Daur and Bandhi towns.

The experts also blame LBOD and stoppage of release of water into the sub-drains and main drains for the twin menace. Besides, the sub-drains and main drains have accumulated silt at many places, which leads to stagnating water and seepage.

Hundreds of tube-wells installed by drainage division of the LBOD in different areas of the district have been out of order for long and transformers, conductors and electric wires have been stolen due to sheer negligence of employees responsible for looking after the machines.

Sources said that the drainage division had provided ample funds for the repair of tube-wells as well as cleaning and maintenance of drains still about 465 tube-well operators had received no salary for 20 months.

The growers and villagers made several complaints about irregularities in utilisation of funds to the high officials concerned and as well as district nazim Nawabshah.

They also raised voice for their problems in a meeting with district nazim which was attended by drainage executive engineer who said that a total of 519 tube-wells had been installed in the district out of which at least 208 had been non-functional, mostly due to theft of transformers and faulty motors.

He said that reports had been sent to the Sindh government on theft of transformers and provision of funds for repairs and clearance of silt from drains as the department had limited funds.

He informed that the salaries of tube-well operators were also released in the last week of April 2007 and the problem was over.

He said that there was no infrastructure of LBOD on the right side of Rohri canal. However, projects were being prepared for dewatering the affected lands. Drains would be dug in Daleldero, Satpuri and 19 Jalalani areas of Sakrand talukas soon, he added.

The president of the Nawabshah chapter of Sindh Abadgar Board Syed Zain Shah said that schemes for the construction of drains in Hamal Faqir and Kumb Leema union councils were part of ADP 2006-07 but so far the government had not started any work on them.

He said that SCARP tube-wells, installed in parts of Sakrand, had been removed and operators had been transferred to Ghotki years ago. Many tube-wells in Nawabshah and Daur talukas had been non-functional for years while their operators continued to receive salaries for doing nothing.

The growers demanded that the chief minister and irrigation minister should take notice of their problem and take concrete steps to solve them.