ISLAMABAD, March 11: Sindh has opposed a federal government proposal to dispose of saline effluent into River Indus, saying it will put at risk people and three million acres of land in Kotri Barrage area.
Sources said on Saturday the provincial government had reservations against the proposal relating to Rs31 billion Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) project because it would put at risk “three million acres of command area of Kotri Barrage and the health of 15 million people who depend on the water supply from the River Indus”.
The Sindh government, instead, has sought an additional Rs1.2 billion from the centre to make necessary changes in the ongoing RBOD project to avoid the dangers it perceived.
Sindh authorities have submitted a revised plan — Extension of RBOD from Sehwan to sea — to the federal government terming it technically viable and economically feasible.
They have proposed that the disposal of saline effluent of the RBOD into sea near Gharo, instead of disposing into river near Sehwan, would save Manchar Lake from pollution; remove the risk of damage to three million acres; and save 15 million people from using contaminated water.
The proposed change in the project, Sindh authorities maintained, would be the extension of existing RBOD and the Main Nara Valley Drain (MNVD) in the west of the area. It would also pave way for execution of works of all stages of RBOD, including disposal of agreed affluent from Balochistan and northern areas of Sindh under planned drainage facilities in the right side of Indus.
According to the revised plan submitted by the Sindh government it was necessary to redesign the RBOD II drain for the discharge of 3,525 cusecs. At present, the effluent from North Dadu Surface Drainage project was being pumped into MNVD, which was falling into Manchar Lake.
“This is causing pollution in the lake with adverse effects on agriculture and fishery. With the completion of the Indus link, the effluent will be by-passed and original function of Manchar Lake will be restored,” the Sindh authorities apprised the federal government through its new detailed study.
The Sindh government believed that its proposed project would provide relief to large areas on right bank of the river by draining its effluent into sea and further develop the entire area from which farmers and fishermen of peripheral area of Mancher Lake would be directly benefited. Also, a long-term advantage would accrue to lower Sindh including Karachi with better drinking water and environment.
About the land acquisition and resettlement required for the project, the Sindh authorities informed the Centre that they had acquired a total 10,332 acres of land which included 3,063 acres government land and 7,269 private.
The cost of the RBOD project had increased from Rs30.7 billion to Rs31 billion mainly due to increase in number of structures, quantity of earthwork, additional river training and flood protection works, provision of concrete/stone lining in some portions and revision of scheduled rates during 2004.
Necessary justification has been provided to the federal government by the Sindh authorities about the additional expenditure regarding the RBOD project, now to be completed by December 2008 in various stages.