IN Sindh, repair of almost all major dykes, devastated by 2010 super floods, are near completion, for which an initial amount of Rs5 billion was provided by the federal government.

Around 76 schemes for repair of river dykes were identified in different categories as normal, sensitive and highly sensitive. The authorities decided to complete parts of schemes that needed immediate attention before 2011 flood season. Eight districts on the right bank of river Indus had borne major brunt of floodwater related damages.

Following a damage need assessment (DNA) Asian Development Bank (ADB) extended a loan of $234 million for the 76 dykes repair works. Works of critical nature were taken in phase-I and subsequently more schemes were executed in phase-II.

Almost all of the schemes are completed, according to Salman Memon, project director Flood Emergency Reconstruction Project (FERP). Different reaches were bifurcated in portions for rehabilitation purposes. ADB gave $184 million as ordinary capital resource credit and another $50 million interest-free loan.

The Sindh government did come up with its promised share of funds, i.e., about 10 per cent of the overall project cost. It is ADB that is supervising the project through consultants and all procurement related measures are subjected to the Bank’s scrutiny.

“Works costing $212 million have already been awarded and remaining are in process”, Memon. According to him, discharges recorded in 2010 super floods at Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri were benchmark for raising heights of dykes throughout Sindh on left and right sides of three barrages. Guddu had recorded 1189000 cusecs discharge, Sukkur 1134000 cusecs and Kotri 839000 cusecs discharges officially. “So if flood fighting measures are in good shape and required arrangements have been made by authorities; we’ll hopefully be able to handle floodwater of magnitude of 2010 floods safely”, he claims.

Irrigation experts say training of irrigation department officials relating to flood fighting is essential to prevent havoc caused by floods. As part of current dykes rehabilitation programme, an overall height of embankment is raised by 6ft keeping in mind 2010 high flood levels.

Sindh Abadgar Board general secretary Mehmood Nawaz Shah argues that it would have been better had authorities decided to identify escape routes for floodwater which are normally identified to avoid pressure of floodwater on main barrages which are important installations.

“Escape routes enable authorities to divert floodwater and then after traveling through some barren area the same water joins the main current again”, he says. “Then bunds are not maintained regularly, and when something like breaches at Tori and Kot Almo happen, authorities find themselves helpless”, he contends.

Since dykes are supposed to protect population and vast farmland from floodwaters, the growers are always concerned about dykes’ strengthening. Farmers have been crying hoarse that it is encroachment in riverbed itself which is a major obstacle that prevents normal flow of floodwater.

Then span of some bridge needs to be widened to smoothen the flow of floodwater. Human settlements also exist in riverbed. A large area between both banks on their right and left side is also under cultivation. Influential people are in possession of such lands obtained from forest department on lease or they are illegally occupied.

For irrigating land, these farmers normally build private bunds. It deflects main current of river Indus, inducing floodwater to build pressure on first defence line of dykes. For safe passage of flood, the riverbed should be to be kept free of all obstructions and forests plantation should be preferred.