DADU, June 9: The water of the Indus River has inundated the main part of the RBOD from RD-58 to RD-62, near Bhago Thoro Mountain, on Monday due to the negligence of RBOD staff as the water flow in the Indus River suddenly rose by 6,000 cusecs.
The work of the RBOD was worst affected at the main point of package number 5.
The growers fear that the Indus River will become dangerous for both residents and the agricultural land as its water would flood everything that comes in its path.
The water of the RBOD will mix with the sweet water of the Indus River and the residents of Kotri, Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro and other areas will find that the taste of the water had changed.
The RBOD officers had the work at the above sensitive point done through contractors who used substandard material. The water of the Indus River has washed away the bulk of the material.
The RBOD officers did not bother to check as to what kind of material the contractors were using, otherwise the incident could have been prevented. Besides, the majority of the contractors had been paid in advance.
None of the senior officials, including the project director and the superintendent engineer, has bothered to go to the area to assess the damage done and to take precautionary measures.
The work on the RBOD was stopped at various parts, including packages number 2, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 14, because the majority of the growers have taken up arms and are demanding compensation for their lands for the construction of the RBOD.
However, some sources said that compensation was only paid to influential people of the areas and nothing to the small growers.
This correspondent visited the RBOD at package number 6 and met with a small grower, Jabli Rind, a resident of the Fazil Rind village. He said that the officers of the RBOD were trying to construct the RBOD Nala on 16 acres of his farmland in Deh Bhacha and he along with the other farmers had taken up arms to protect their land.
He said that they had prevented construction work on the RBOD because the RBOD officers with the connivance of the land acquisition officer had embezzled the money meant for the land and had refused to compensate them.
He said that he along with the other small growers of the area had been visiting the office of the RBOD officer and the land acquisition officer continuously for two months to receive compensation for their land but in vain.
This correspondent visited another part of the RBOD and met with a small grower, Jeewan Bhacho, a resident of the Bhacha village, Deh Mirzapur. He said that the RBOD officer and the land acquisition officer had refused to compensate him for 10 acres, which he was cultivating for the last 50 years, and added that, besides, he was also paying agricultural taxes to the revenue department.
When this correspondent contacted the president, Chamber of Agriculture, Dadu district, Ghulam Ali Khan Shahani, he said that the RBOD officers were not doing work on the RBOD according to the original design and they were using substandard material.
He said that substandard material was used at the main flow of the Indus River from RD-58 to RD-62, and added that the water level had increased and washed away substandard material.
He said that 2,700 cusecs of saline water of the MNV drain would be disposed of into the sea through the RBOD and it would mix with the sweet water of the Indus River changing its taste.
He said that the government should initiate a high level enquiry against the project director, the superintendent engineer and other officers who had not visited the sensitive point as yet and had not taken any action against the contractors who were using substandard material.
When this correspondent visited the affected site and met with the executive engineer of the RBOD, Khalid Haider Memon, he said that the work was stopped when the water level started rising and it would be risky for them to continue the work.