HYDERABAD, Oct 19: The secretary for irrigation and power, Sindh, Mohammad Hashim Leghari, has directed officials of the irrigation department to start work on the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) project in the first week of November.

Presiding over a meeting of irrigation engineers and consultants at the Sehwan Sharif rest house on Friday, Leghari informed the Rs14 billion RBOD project would start from Karampur and end at the Gharo Creek.

He said the project had many components like excavation, construction of roads and bridges and Nullah crossings at many places.

He said the course of the RBOD near Lakhi would be diverted. The earlier plan, he added, at this place had to be changed as it was apprehended the drain could be damaged in case of flood in the River Indus.

The irrigation secretary further informed the earlier selected place near Amri was also being changed to save the town and its relics.

He told the meeting work on the land survey was also being started with the help of the land survey settlement department, Board of Revenue.

For this purpose, he informed, a committee had been constituted. The committee, comprising representatives of the Army Engineering Corps, would determine the award of compensation to the affected parties, he added.

He said land for the project from Karampur to Gharo was being acquired for which the Sindh government had issued a notification.

He said Khatedars of four dehs had been served with notices and asked to file their claims with the Land Requisition Officer, Jamshoro.

Earlier, Leghari was given a detailed briefing on the RBOD at Karampur by the consultant of the M. M. Private Limited.