THATTA The swelling Indus has increased pressure on vulnerable points of Surjani, Monarki, Aghimani, Sonda Hilaya and Gulail Indo dykes and the area people are not satisfied with the efforts being taken by the government and the PPP's local leadership to strengthen the flood protective embankments.
The district administration, PPP activists and the Shirazi group are utilising their potential and concentrations to get strengthened the old Surjani protective bund, the most vulnerable site due to escalating pressure of Indus for the last 48 hours ending on Tuesday evening.
Located about one kilometre away from the officially declared vulnerable Surjani protective bund on left bank of Indus, the site is exactly the same where an 800-foot breach had occurred on 17th of August 1988, causing massive and irreparable losses to the urban and rural population of taluka Sujawal, Mirpur Bathoro and Jati.
The then Sindh government declared the area as calamity-stricken.
A media team, which visited the site found some 200 to 300 villagers with the staff of district administration dumping the mud containing gunny bags along the dyke under the supervision of the district president PPP Arbab Wazir Ahmed Memon.
In line, half a kilometre away former District Nazim Syed Shafqat Hussain Shah Shirazi and his elder brother Syed Aijaz Ali Shah Shirazi were also busy with an equal number of villagers to strengthen the vulnerable site.
Arbab Wazir Memon told Dawn that they had dumped over 5,000 mud filled gunny bags, wooden logs, and other material, but the site still required 15,000 empty gunny bags, to be filled with mud and dumped at the site.
PPP MPA Sadiq Memon, who was also present at the site, said that, a consignment of 10,000 empty gunny bags would reach the site soon.
He said in fact the irrigation department, since plugging the ruptured site in 1988, had not carried out its stone pitching and other maintenance.
Very calculative, PPP District President Arbab Wazir Memon, who is native of the nearby village Darro, said that the prevalent situation was absolutely different than of 1988, adding that the water quantum is comparatively high, and the velocity of wind was dangerous and the Indus water was eroding Surjani from RD 0/1 to 1/4 within the range of one and half kilometre and such a rapid way wash phenomenon was not a good sign, hence he was not confident the site would sustain the onslaught.
Meanwhile, the irrigation and RBOD authorities by strengthening the bunds of K.B Feeder lower and Indus bund along with National Highway, have succeeded in temporarily containing the water, overtopping the Indus from near Raju Nizamani for the last one and half day which has minimised the threat to National Highway and Keenjhar Lake.
So far 12 more villages near Ali Behar and Sonda Hilaya bund have been encircled by the Indus water.
PALIJO
Chief of Awami Tehreek Rasool Bux Palijo has said that the Surjani and Monarki vulnerable dykes were getting sensitive with every passing day and irrigation authorities would be responsible for any such disaster.
At a news conference at press club on Tuesday, Mr Palijo also spoke on issues like “MQM chief Altaf Hussain's call for martial law” and others
In an obvious reference to the Shirazi group, Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo, without naming anyone, said that the PPP rivals should voluntarily dismantle their private flood protective bunds if they are really sincere with the people of Thatta.
She said that the Sindh government was utilising its entire potential and resources to provide maximum relief to the flood-affected people. She said it was a great challenge and the nation would definitely face it with courage.
