BADIN, May 28: Thousands of people in the district will face a severe threat to their lives and property if breaches occurred in saline drains, including the spinal LBOD drain, and irrigation canals during last year's heavy rains and floods are not plugged soon.

The victims of the rains are still suffering from hunger, diseases and humiliation as the government has failed to pay compensation for the losses suffered by them.

Figures collected by this correspondent revealed that as many as 350 breaches had occurred during last year's heavy rains and floods in the Left Bank Outfall Drain which were left open for the reasons best known to the authorities.

It is apprehended that unplugged breaches would not only claim human lives near the LBOD but also repeat last year's disaster. At least 350,000 people of 16 union councils including eight of Badin and four each of Tando Bago and Shaheed Fazil Raho talukas are living near open breaches and a sword of Damocles is hanging over them.

When contacted, UC Nazim Fida Mandhro expressed his surprise over the apathy authorities concerned for ignoring the people's demand about the closure of breaches. He appealed to Chief Justice Sindh High Court to take suo motu notice of the genuine demand of the people of the district and direct the Sindh government for immediate release of funds for the plugging the breaches.

A government official told this correspondent that the Sindh governor Dr Ishratul Ibad had approved an amount of Rs28 million to be released to Sida for carrying out the repair work.

The people of this area were surprised to know that orders of the governor were not implemented and the amount was not released to the director of the Sida. It was recommended to release of Rs200 million for payment of compensation of losses to the people but the amount was not released.

The delay in release of the amount was caused after the objections were put by the Sindh ministry of finance. The people of the district have demanded that President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali should direct the Sindh government for the release of funds. They demanded that packages announced by the federal and provincial governments for the victims of rains should also be released.