HYDERABAD, May 30: The Sindh government has rejected a summary seeking release of Rs28 million for plugging breaches in the Left Bank Outfall Drain system, reliable sources have told Dawn.

The sources said that the Sindh finance department had raised an objection to sanctioning the amount. They said that even the chief secretary had approved the release of the grant for repairing damage caused to the LBOD system during heavy rains last year, resulting in widespread devastation in Badin.

Over 350 breaches had occurred in the LBOD which created havoc in the Badin district and rendered thousands of people shelterless. The victims of heavy rains and LBOD breaches are still waiting for compensation and relief. The people of Badin will suffer similar losses if the breaches are not plugged.

The sources said that Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority managing director Ali Mohammad Baloch, in a letter to the secretary for irrigation, had expressed concern over the rejection of the summary for the release of Rs28 million.

They said that Mr Baloch, who had inspected the LBOD system from Jhuddo to RD38 of the tidal link on May 19, had written to the irrigation secretary that due to failure of Choleri Weir and tidal link, seawater had entered the Kadhan Pattejo Outfall Drain.

The inspection path of the tidal link is also badly damaged. The sources said that the right side of the KPOD from RD2 upwards had to be saved at all costs to protect the command area of the Kotri Barrage and villages of the Badin district.

Some of the breaches along the KPOD, according to the sources, are as wide as 200 feet. The sources observed that the most alarming situation was that the water level in the KPOD was just one feet below breach points. The Sirani branch drain, 2R KPOD, Badami sub-drain and the Lawari branch drain were back flowing on May 19, they further said.

The Sida managing director is also reported to have approached the World Bank for allowing O&M (Operation and Maintenance) performance contracts for the LBOD/Spinal Drain and the KPOD but without a positive response.

Not only this, the sources said, but the SNE (summary for new expenditure) for the LBOD system for 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 had also been prepared but the Sindh government had not allocated any funds for maintenance.

In another letter to the Sindh irrigation secretary, the Sida official had cautioned that monsoon was only two months away and if the damages that had occurred last year were not repaired in time, loss of life and property in the Badin district could not be ruled out. Mr Baloch could not be contacted for his comments.