At least 3,500 feet of construction work on the RBOD at the main flow of the Indus river from RD-58 to RD-62, near Bhago Toro mountain, has been completely inundated. Besides, the water level continues to rise with the passing of every hour.
No senior official of the RBOD has bothered to go there to assess the damage.
When this correspondent visited the affected site, he saw heavy machinery and bulldozers lying idle till noon. Only one tractor was being utilized; it was levelling the bank.
This correspondent met with the coordinator of Mohammad Ashraf D. Baloch Company, Karam Hussain Shah. The company is working on the main flow of the River Indus, near Bhago Toro.
Mr Karam said that the water level is increasing by 1 foot daily at this narrow path of the Indus river, and added that with the use of heavy machinery, the company had laid material in the bed of the Indus river from RD-59 to RD-62.
He said that the water of the Indus river had inundated the on-going work of the RBOD at the main flow of the Indus river, which had severely affected the work.
He said that the contract was given to M/s Mohammad Ashraf D. Baloch Company for Rs20 million from RD-59 to RD-62, and added that the work started in February 2003 and would have to be completed within 18 months.
The executive engineer of the RBOD, Khalid Haider Memon, told this correspondent on the telephone that flood control method would be used at the main flow of the Indus river to save the construction work.
He claimed that the contractor had not been paid and so far he had completed 25 to 30 per cent of the work.
He said that it was a fact that payment to thousands of land owners had not been made.
PROTEST: A large number of people took to the streets in Mehar town on Sunday to protest against police excesses.
They said that ASI Shabbir Lakhair of Qazi Arif police station had detained Liaquat Khoso and five other passengers when they were travelling in a pickup.
They alleged that the police officer demanded a Rs10,000 bribe from them. They said that the victims were released after the payment of the amount through a landlord of the village.
They appealed to the high officials of the police for justice
DEMO: The activists of the Jamiat-e-Tuleba-e-Islam staged a demonstration outside local press club to protest against the construction of the greater Thal canal.
They were led by Hafiz Anwar Khonharo, Mohammad Akram, Saif Brohi, Abdul Aziz and Nasrullah Brohi.
Speaking on the occasion, Hafiz Khonharo condemned the construction of the canal.