DADU, June 3 The newly-built walls on left and right banks of Dadu canal were washed away due to sub-standard material used in its construction.

Irrigation Department constructed the walls in April last, to protect the city from breach after removing old stone pitching work.

It was only three days back that the officials concerned had released water into Dadu canal on the insistence of tail-end growers and walls gave away to the pressure of increasing water at many a place.

A farmer at Siyal Mori where some parts of walls are washed away tagged it to poor quality material used in construction.

Fears of residents have increased manifold as they say now the city is more exposed to breach than it was before due to the removal of stone pitching work. Walls are so delicate that a mere pressure of water washed these away, they said. PPP-SB leader Sikandar Bhutto said that he had complained to Irrigation Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and secretary irrigation about the inferior quality material which was being used at the time of construction of walls but to no avail.

Sikandar Bhutto and JSQM leader Niaz Channa along with their workers visited Siyal Mori and informed the irrigation officials of the low quality material used in construction.

“Contract for the construction of protection walls was awarded to Kashif Hussain, brother of MNA Mehreen Bhutto, Abdul Rehman Baloch, Eid Mohammad Brohi, Ghulam Haider and Rashid Ahmed,” said Engineer Irrigation, Dadu, Nazeer Ahmed Tunio while contending that Dadu canal was secured from breach after construction of walls on both sides.

Superintendent Engineer, irrigation, western Sindh circle, Abdul Rehman Nizamani supporting the claim of his colleague said that he himself visited the spot and found construction work desirable after which water was released. He said that presently 2,840 cusecs of water was flowing against the capacity of 5,000 cusecs and some 800 to 900 cusecs at the site of protection walls.

Nizamani did not personally visit the spot after the release of water but believed the statement of his engineer who had denied that walls have washed away as according to him quality material was used and that too, under the supervision of senior irrigation officials.