DADU: Land communication between a cluster of over 50 villages and other areas of Sehwan taluka was cut off by flooding after protective dyke (bund) of a small dam, Nigawal, ruptured on Friday.

An inquiry into the breach and flooding has been ordered by Jamshoro Deputy Commissioner Riaz Hussain Wassan.

Reports from the area suggested that a breach occurred in a dyke of Nigawal dam, which is one of the 40 small dams built by the SRP in 2021 and handed over to the Small Dams Organisation (SDO), Sindh, for maintenance in 2023.

Gushing water from the ruptured dyke cut off over 50 villages, including Khuda Bux Noohani, Shaikh Khan Noohani, Nigawal, Rawal Noohani and Usman Noohani, from the rest of Sehwan taluka. Flooding inundated many houses and other structures, besides lands and link roads along its way in the Jhangra union council of Sehwan taluka.

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Affected villagers told Dawn that all link roads were submerged due to which movement between each two villages was blocked while access to other areas of Sehwan taluka for the people of the submerged villages had become impossible.

The villages housing the shrines of Naing Sharif and Gaji Shah were also cut off after flooding hit Masan Wah (irrigation channel) slope.

Assistant Engineer Qayyum Shahni of the SDO at Sehwan, was quoted as saying that the structure of the Nigawal dam remained by and large unaffected but only a portion of its dyke actually developed a breach due to increased pressure of water amidst continuing spells of heavy and moderate rains in the region.

He held out the assurance that the main road and link roads within the area would be restored once these spells of rain would come to a halt.

DC Riaz Wassan on Friday proceeded to the site of the damage for inspection and issued necessary directives to the officials concerned.

Sehwan Assistant Commissioner Waqas Malook, SDO’s Executive Engineer Khan Mohammad and other officials also accompanied the DC.

Mr Malook told the DC that the SRP had built the 40 dams in these areas in 2021 but the unprecedented rains and flood in Sindh the very next year had caused considerable damage to the dams’ safety shields.

Inquiry begins

Speaking to local reporters after the visit, AC Malook said that the DC had asked him to hold an inquiry into the breach and, in the meantime, get the repair and restoration work started.

It would be an extensive probe, said Mr Malook, adding that XEN Khan Mohammad would assist him in the proceedings, which would start on Saturday.

Explaining the scope of his inquiry, he said the cause(s) leading to the breach would be established; quality of the construction work would be examined; the amount that remained unspent in the maintenance of the dam after release would be ascertained; it would also be ascertained that why the contractor concerned had left the assigned work half way and if legal action was taken against him.

AC Malook said that the technical team of SDO executive engineer would check the design of the dam and start the restoration work on Saturday (Aug 3).

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2024