Indus, non-Indus dykes: ADB team wants resettlement of displaced families

Asian Development Bank's (ADB) inspection team stressed over the Irrigation officials for the resettlement of thousands of displaced families who were settled nearby the Indus and non-Indus dykes before the heavy floods, reliable sources told Business Recorder on Wednesday.
The rehabilitation work of Indus and non-Indus dykes is running with the amount of loan, which Sindh government had got from ADB in the first week of April 2011, due to non-availability of funds in government's kitty. This was happened, when ADB team visited the rehabilitation work of Indus and non-Indus dykes in district Thatta and other areas, Gender experts of team have expressed grief over the damages of houses, which were established nearby the bunds and stressed over the officials for resettlement of thousands of displaced families, sources said.
The officials, present on the occasion, replied the team that families, settled nearby the bunds, had illegally occupied the land of Irrigation department so that we would not resettle them, sources said. "Gender experts replied officials that resettlement of families is the part of Sindh government and ADB loan agreement so you have to follow that at any cost", sources said.
Besides, gender experts told them that not only, you have to resettle displaced families but you would also provide them clean drinking water and other basic facilities at their doorstep, sources added. During the visit, team has inspected the rehabilitation work of LS bund, M.S bund and other dykes which is continued on the sites.
An official of Irrigation department told Business Recorder on the condition of keeping his name in secret that there are thousands of families, displaced from bunds due to recent heavy floods so it would be very difficult to resettle all of them. He said that the matter is under consideration and final solution would be found very soon in this regard.
Moreover, the inspection team of ADB would also visit all sites of rehabilitation schemes of Indus and non-Indus dykes and would prepare the report in this regard, sources said. It may be noted here that the rehabilitation work of Indus and non-Indus dykes is underway for last 10 months, which is in final touches according to official sources of Irrigation department.