BADIN: After a delay of a whole decade, the Sindh government on Tuesday finally started work on the drainage project of vital importance in lower Sindh’s left bank area as identified in 2013 under a foreign firm’s study in the wake of successive disasters, caused by the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD).

The disasters during a cyclone and the 2003, 2011, 2020 and 2022 rains had been too evident for the local community, especially the people of Badin, Sindh’s tail-end district along the coastline.

The work has now been started at RD-210 of the spinal drain in the LBOD system to ensure safe passage of rainwater through Pangrio Dhoro to fall into Puran Dhoro after crossing underneath the spinal drain. It would be completed at a cost of Rs530m out of the project’s total cost of Rs4.349bn.

Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro performed the foundation stone laying of one of four proposed underpasses/siphons. It is the last underpass that is taken in hand first for construction and planned to be completed by June end, before monsoon. Depending on availability of funds, the remaining works would be undertaken later.

Rift in local population

The RD-210 is a location that had become a bone of contention between the people of Badin, Mirpurkhas and Tharparkar on the issue of the ‘relief cut’ given here last year after heavy rains starting in July. Those who were favouring the relief cut argued that it was an ideal location for the cut but those opposing it contended that it would inundate more populated villages besides destroying agricultural lands.

First phase of Rs4.349bn project to mend LBOD undertaken in Badin district

Lands of natural waterways like Puran Dhoro are alleged to have been encroached upon by bigwigs of the area. Cash crops like sugar cane, chilli, cotton, etc were grown there. Kilns were established there by some people who were allegedly backed by Thar’s influential figures. Those opposing the cut had clear intention of resisting it. Even armed men were deployed at the site.

“This work was to begin in February but due to flows in the spinal drain, it was delayed. We will try to complete the underpass within the stipulated time and then go for other designed underpasses in the same reach,” the minister while addressing the gathering at confluence of Tharparkar and Badin districts.

LBOD kept spelling disasters, says minister

The minister was critical of the LBOD system which, he said, was built in General Zia’s regime. “Had the natural waterways been kept intact, there would have been no need of the LBOD, which kept spelling disaster for these areas,” said Mr Shoro.

The LBOD, he said, had affected the coastal Badin district which is blessed with rich agriculture landscape the most. “Badin is affected by cyclone, heavy rains and water shortage,” he observed.

Alluding to regional master plan for the left bank of Indus in a study by a foreign consultant firm in 2013, he said he got the schemes of these underpasses approved as per the decided works. Regrettably, he said, Sindh with 14 canals, lacks a drainage network even for 50pc of its area, thus disasters.

“We believe the LBOD, dhoros and natural waterways should be kept separate,” he said, promising that the area of Puran Dhoro, the biggest old waterway in the area, would be revived till Shakoor lake, where the LBOD system ends.

Discussing the location where the first underpass is to be built, he said Pangrio Dhoro has that falls in Puran Dhoro which has been dissected by the LBOD. He said Pangrio Dhoro was blocked at other locations as well by different structures that had become obstructions.

Development region-II chief engineer Zarif Iqbal Khero told the audience that the underpass would provide passage to Pangrio Dhoro to fall into Puran Dhoro and ultimately head for Shakoor lake. Pangrio Dhoro’s route was blocked by the spinal drain. He said LBOD system carried around 12,000 cusecs against the designed discharge of 4,600 cusecs.

He conceded the site where the first underpass would be built was a location where the local community was pressing for a ‘relief cut’ during last September’s heavy rains and when the LBOD was having plenty of runoff.

“At that time, a cut was not advisable here as it would have flooded more areas. We know people upstream suffered badly last year due to the spinal drain,” he said.

Mr Khero referred to the disasters caused by the LBOD in 2003, 2011, 2020 and 2022, and said that after the initial damage caused by the drain, people of Badin had written to World Bank (WB) to express its reservations over the projects. A panel of experts visited the LBOD in 2005 which resolved that LBOD’s defects could not be addressed in normal repair works and, as such, massive works were identified in the 2013 “regional master plan’s study” at a cost of Rs42bn that kept increasing over the years.

He said the Sindh government had approached the federal authorities for cost-sharing but it had not been done as yet. “Funds constraints hamper the execution of works. Currently, cost of those feasibility study-based works stand at over Rs170bn due to cost escalation and appreciation in US dollar’s rate. He, however, pointed out that no breach occurred in spinal drain’s history despite heavy rains although it was designed for 125mm of rains and it had to bear with 203mm of rains.

‘LBOD was thrust upon us’

Sindh Assembly member from Badin Taj Mohammad Mallah expressed his worries over the delay in the restoration of Puran Dhoro upto Shakoor lake. “Unless this waterway is revived, this project will be useless,” he said. He hoped that the project would be executed with all components to provide relief to Badin. He said Puran’s carrying capacity might be enhanced to 10,000 cusecs. “Puran needs to be restored first upstream Shakoor lake,” he proposed.

MPA from Mirpurkhas Tariq Talpur expressed the same concern, saying that natural waterways needed to be restored. “LBOD was thrust upon us during Zia’s regime in ’80s, he said, and urged the local community to own these works of vital importance.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2023