DADU, March 9: The flood-ravaged Indus dykes in the district, the Flood Protective bund, Suprio bund and Larkana-Sehwan bund and the embankments of the Main Nara Valley drain and Manchhar Lake are getting weaker by each passing day as irrigation department and Wapda delay work on their repair and strengthening. The FP bund, from RD zero of Manchhar in Sehwan taluka to 346 RD of Hamal lake, Suprio bund from Gozo village to Dhamrah Wah of Mehar taluka and Larkana-Sehwan dyke from Sehwan to Pat Sharif sustained massive damage during last year's super flood.

The floods completely washed away right bank of the MNV drain from RD zero of Manchhar to 344 RD of Hamal lake.

Manzoor Jamali of Shafi Thallho village, half a kilometre from Manchhar, said that condition of the lake's embankment from RD zero to RD 100 was very fragile.

He said that if this part was neglected it would lead to large scale damage to agriculture land and houses in Sehwan during the next flood season.

Khuda Bux Mallah, another villager, said that work on the bridge of MNV drain and FP bund had not started yet and therefore, over 100 villages had been cut off from each other for over six months. Even survey for the rehabilitation of the bridge had not been conducted yet, he said.

Naeem Jokhio, a grower of Khairpur Nathan Shah taluka, said that Suprio and FP bunds from Gozo to Mehar needed repairs on an urgent basis because the breaches in the two dykes were not plugged properly.

He proposed the two embankments should be raised to 20 feet.

Engineer of Rice Canal Amjad Hussain Dawachh said that the government had released Rs160 million out of Rs412 million needed for repairs and rising of the FP bund from RD 220 of Gozo to Mehar to RD 346 of Hamal lake and RD 0 to RD 95 of Dhamrah Wah. Work on Suprio bund was started from Gozo and this embankment would be raised from 15 feet to 17 feet, he added.

He said that width of Suprio bund would be increased to 20 feet. Machinery had also been moved to FP bund but work was delayed due to appointment of staff of consultants.

The repair of damaged parts of Larkana-Sehwan bund from mile 77 near Siyal bund to 162 has not been not carried, according to area people.

Ghulam Qadir Shahani of Moundar town said that the LS bund would not be able to sustain pressure during next flood season. Work on J spur of Dadu-Moro bridge should be completed immediately, he said.

Mohammad Juman, a resident of Khan Mohammad village, said that entire LS bund was damaged in floods and should be pitched with stones.

Executive engineer of irrigation Dadu, Habibullah Kaboro, said that Rs380 million had been allocated for the strengthening and rehabilitation of LS bund from Radhan town to Dadu-Moro bridge but work was delayed due to non-release of funds.

About FP bund, he said that machinery had been moved to the site at RD 147. The FP bund would be pitched with stones from RD 147 to RD 192 in Dadu district at a cost of Rs222 millions.

A resident of flood-devastated union council Kamal Khan, Ali Mohammad Solangi, said that the right embankment of MNV drain was washed away and 47 breaches occurred in it from RD zero to RD 344 but Wapda not yet started work on plugging its breaches.

The general manager Wapda South Hyderabad, Ali Sher Baloch, said that only one breach in MNV drain at zero point of Manchhar had been plugged.