LARKANA: Though water level in the Indus in Larkana has started receding, the situation at the Old Abad dyke remains critical amid hectic efforts to keep it intact.

“Since Aug 15, we are facing an emergency situation here,” said a sub-engineer of the irrigation department working at the site on Sunday.

“The erosion was noticed on Aug 10,” the engineer, Tanveer Wadho, told this reporter, adding that active erosion of 1,700 feet long part of the dyke was being addressed. By doing a constant dumping of stone boulders along with soil to strengthen it, we had so far saved the dyke from being washed away, he said.

The dyke is the third protection line, he said.

Mr Tanveer said the erosion had eaten away 1,700 feet of the existing dyke. “The risk is not yet over; we are spending nights here to watch the river’s behaviour and are ready with the support staff and machinery to meet any eventuality.”

Qurban Jatoi, resident of a nearby village, said he had seen a similar situation here during the 1983 and 2010 super floods but this one appeared even more dangerous. It is a big threat, he said, adding that more than a dozen villages — including Shahan Jatoi, Bablani Jatoi, Chachar, Gilsee Wara Bhutta, Nau Abad and Mitho Goth — were under threat and this was making us to spend sleepless nights.

A spur built in 2016 by the National Highway Authority to deflect River Indus water from this point to save the Larkana-Khairpur bridge was now creating problem for this dyke as it was obstructing the flow. The restoration work was on to save the dyke where the Indus was striking at 90-degree angle, the sub-engineer said.

The irrigation department had provided no special funds for flood-fighting, sources said.

At Moria loop bund, the Federal Flood Commission had approved a scheme of Rs201 million for building three spurs to push away the strong currents of Indus water, said Mr Jafferi, a sub-engineer of the Northern Dadu division, on Sunday.

Two T-shaped spurs had been completed while work on building a J-shaped spur was in progress; the work had come to a halt due to rise in water level, he said.

Recently, when 303,000 cusecs had passed from this point, it had submerged the shank of the J-spur, he said. The work was started in 2016 and was due to be completed by June 2019 but remained incomplete. He said that in 2017, when stone apron at this point was severely damaged by floods, the Sindh government on an emergency basis had approved a scheme costing Rs526 million for stone-pitching and apron.

In 2010 and 2015, some 1,100,000 cusecs and 700,000 cusecs, respectively, passed safely from this point, he said. After 2015 floods, the river had begun changing its course from here and now it flows about 2.5 miles away from its older route on the right bank, Mr Jafferi said. Also, he added, the spurs built at Ruk, Nusrat Loop Bund and Akil loop bund had contributed to the deflecting of the river’s course. He said 176,000 cubic feet stone had been stocked alongside the dyke to fight any emergency.

“We have completed 95 per cent work of three J-spurs, stone-pitching and apron at Hakra dyke for which the Rs985 million scheme had been approved,” said Munir Morio, the executive engineer of Northern Dadu division on Sunday.

“We have to look after 86 miles dykes in the division besides supervising 65-miles second defence line, he said.

He disagreed with the reports of damage to the undertaken work at Hakra dyke but confirmed that erosion had appeared at new location near the ongoing work point; it was a new development. The erosion was noticed in 400 feet area and prompted the irrigation department to move heavy machinery without wasting time. Heavy boulders were dumped at the site of erosion and successfully controlled the situation from turning worse, he said. Though villagers had criticised the department’s lethargy, Mr Morio said work at the site itself was explaining our efforts. He said head of the J-head spur was in final stage as its earthen work had almost been completed while stone-pitching and apron was also completed.

When asked if irrigation department had released special funds for the flood-fighting works, he said ‘no’, and pointed out that flood-fighting was continuing.

It was learnt that during the last two seasons, the contractors who had completed the task at the Old Abad dyke had not yet been paid their dues.

The superintendent engineer of the Northern Dadu division, Haji Mohammed Ayaz Memon, verified the claim.

The engineering staff, currently busy in flood-fighting expect a drop in water discharge at Sukkur within the next 24 hours. The discharge on Aug 26 is anticipated at 126,000 cusecs and may continue to drop to 58,000 cusecs on Aug 31, sources in the irrigation department said on Sunday.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2019