SUKKUR/HYDERABAD: The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday claimed that the damage to Sukkur Barrage’s two gates reflected massive corruption in irrigation, like all other provincial departments.

They strongly reacted to the incident in which the gate number 47 of the barrage suddenly collapsed and plunged into deep water while the gate number 44 was heavily damaged during the night intervening Thursday and Friday (June 20 and 21) while flows in Indus were smooth and normal.

They criticised the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for allegedly “syphoning off” billions of rupees allocated annually to different departments for development and proper maintenance of all their major and minor installations.

GDA Information Secretary, Sardar Abdul Rahim, who is also the Sindh Secretary General of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), expressed his deep concern over suspension of irrigation water supply to Nara, Rohri, Khairpur, Rice and other canals in the name of repair work after the incident. In a statement, he noted that the action would disable growers to cultivate cotton, rice, vegetables and other crops in this season.

GDA accuses PPP govt of massive corruption; PTI alleges intentional move to grab foreign aid

Sardar Rahim claimed that the Thursday night incident proved that proper repair and maintenance of Sukkur Barrage was not being carried out despite the fact that huge amounts of funds were released every year to the irrigation department for the purpose. He noted that the gate number 47 plunged into the river and could not be traced out as yet.

The GDA leader demanded registration of a case against all those responsible for the incident. They must be arrested, he added.

He observed that wheat growers were already under immense stress for being deprived of gunny bags, not being paid official rate of their produce and denial of their due share in irrigation water. And now they and all other growers would not be able to cultivate their crops due to suspension of water supply.

Sindh PTI President Haleem Adil Sheikh, in his statement, demanded a thorough investigation into barrage gates’ collapse and damage incident.

He accused “corrupt” officials of the irrigation department of being involved in the incident.

He said that the gates were not damaged by natural causes. “A thorough investigation into the incident be held and those found responsible must be punished,” he said.

Mr Sheikh insisted that the gates were intentionally broken. “How can a 35-tonne gate break merely due to low water pressure?” he argued, and recalled that these were the same gate that had withstood pressure of 1.15 million cusecs that passed through them in super floods of 2010 and 2011 and that, too, without suffering any damage.

He said it was a matter of grave concern that damage was going to affect no less than eight million acres of agricultural land in Sindh.

The PTI leader also pointed out that billions of rupees were being released annually for the maintenance and repairs of the barrages, yet no substantial work was done.

He claimed that despite Rs47 billion having been allocated and doors being ordered from a Chinese company, only the gate number 37 had been completed over the last three years.

Referring to a notification regarding suspension of water supply to many canals to facilitate repair works, Mr Sheikh noted that these canals were irrigating more than half of Sindh’s agricultural lands.

He criticised the Sindh government for having no plan for the replacement of the collapsed gate number 47.

He accused the ruling PPP designing and executing disasters “to get foreign aid and then pocketing it”.

Haleem Sheikh said PTI intended to file a petition in the Sindh High Court over the Sukkur Barrage gates incident and also organise rallies to ensure that no further damage was caused to Sindh’s agriculture sector.

Inquiry instituted

The Sindh irrigation secretary has formed a five-member technical committee to hold an inquiry into the Thursday night collapse of Sukkur Barrage’s gate No. 47 and damage to its gate No. 44.

Three separate terms of reference (ToRs) have been prepared for the inquiry committee.

Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro confirmed setting up of the committee. But the team has not been given ToRs for “fixing responsibility in view of the findings of the report”.

According to the notification issued on Saturday, the technical inquiry committee is headed by Ghulam Mohiuddin Mughal (Project Director of the Sindh Barrages Improvement Project. The other members are Pritam Das (Managing Director of the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority), Mansoor Ahmed Memon (Chief Engineer, Development Region-I Hyderabad), Mukhtiar Ahmed Abro (Chief Engineer, Sukkur Barrage Right Bank Region), and Mohammad Hayat Shaikh (Project Director, SCARP Khairpur).

“The committee would examine barrage operations over the last two months in relation to SOPs of barrage; will determine in detail causes of damage to gate No.44 and 47 of Sukkur Barrage; shall complete and submit detailed technical enquiry report to secretary irrigation department within five days,” the notification read.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2024