HYDERABAD, Aug 7: The inquiry committee, appointed by Sindh Chief Secretary K.B. Rind to look into the cause of the Rohri Canal breach, here on Wednesday recorded statements of some ten irrigation officials.

A committee member when contacted avoided to give details of the statements of the officials, saying it may affect the proceedings of the inquiry.

The inquiry committee is headed by a member of the Board of Revenue, Manzoor Bhutto. Two other members of the Board of Revenue, Nisar Ahmad Siddiqui and Qasim Lashari, Peer Mazhar of Bhit Shah, Kotri Barrage chief engineer Izhar Khan and chief engineer, Development Irrigation, Bashir Ahmad Dahar, are members of the committee.

The terms of reference of the inquiry committee are: what measures, decided to be taken in the wake of a flood at a relief committee meeting, held two days before the breach, were not adopted and who was responsible for that; what was the level of response of different authorities/departments/officials after the breach occurred on late Sunday night (July 28) and what type of measures should be taken in case of such eventuality in future.

The committee is also looking into the fact as to why the information of the breach was communicated after a delay of several hours.

The report of the committee would be finalized by next week and would be submitted to the chief secretary.

The committee has fixed Saturday for recording statements of people who are interested in deposing before the committee.

Five officials of the irrigation department, including superintending engineer of the Rohri Canal, have already been placed under suspension by the Sindh irrigation minister.