PA passes Sindh Irrigation (Amendment) Bill, 2011

The provincial lawmakers on Wednesday passed the Sindh Irrigation (Amendment) Bill, 2011, into law unanimously to amend the "Sind Irrigation Act 1879", with a view to remove encroachments from the natural or artificial depression courses on the government lands.
With Deputy Speaker, Sindh Assembly, Shehla Raza in Chair, Sindh Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ayaz Soomro through a motion presented the Bill in the House during the Assembly Session, which other legislators overwhelmingly supported.
Reading out the statement of objectives and reasons, he said: "Due to heavy rains of 2011 severe damage was caused because of inadequate flow of water through natural or artificial depression n courses which were obstructed by the encroachments thereon. With a view to remove the encroachments from the natural or artificial depression courses on government lands for smooth flow of rain water, it is expedient to make some suitable amendments to the Sind Irrigation Act, 1879 by providing severe punishment therein so that the encroachment is removed in the public interest."
Showing concerns, Jam Tamachi of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), however, suggested the government to implement the law which was already in place and avoid making new laws on the same issues. He said the British rule had evolved nearly all laws pertaining to such issues but their implementation by the government just needed to achieve the set goals.
He said as long as the corrupt officials of the government are in such key departments, it is unlikely for them to enforce the state's rules. "Corrupt officials cannot enforce the law and the government should appoint officials on merit," Jam Tamachi said.
Sindh Culture Minister, Sassui Palijo, congratulated the Law Minister for presenting an important Bill in the House, saying it is a good step towards protecting the province from floods. She said the embankments at rivers and canals had created huge problems during the floods 2010.
She pointed out that Supreme Court had also taken a notice of the dykes' breaches which flooded the massive land. She said the Sindh government had taken action to stop the flood flow. A PPP legislator, Sikandar Mandhro said the natural water courses had been encroached over while the government had also built some construction in such water flowing areas which during a passage of time dried up for lack of river flow prone to floods, it triggered devastation.
He urged the government to reopen the natural system of water flow of rivers and canals to protect the populated parts from flood ravages. Sindh Information Minister, Shazia Mari said President Asif Ali Zardari had keen interest in controlling and protecting the flood devastations, as he had also held video-conferencing during the floods and taken initiatives in this regard.
She said the back to back floods were an ordeal for the nation and not punishment from God to devastate the people, however, people for their bad planning by chocking river and canals flow had eventually turned it into destruction.
She said public had disturbed the natural water courses. "This peace of legislation should rest with all bureaucrats and we should implement it," Mari said. A female lawmaker of Pakistan Muslim League Functional (PML-F) said her party would support the legislation on irrigation system reformation, saying the law should have emerged much before as Sindh could have been protected from the destruction of floods.
She said implementation of the law should be made on a priority basis. She said those who were found involved in diverting the flood water to other parts which caused mass devastation, should also be punished through the law, indiscriminately.
PPP's Rashida Phanwar, Humera Alwani, Ghulam Qadir, Muzzafar Shujra Haji Munawar Abbasi and Bachal Shah and PML-F's Marvi Rashdi also spoke on the law, before voting to pass it unanimously. Earlier on point of order, Marvi Rashdi criticised the PPP's female candidate, Waheeda Shah contesting by-polls for her violent attitude against the polling officials, saying now other women had to have helmets on to protect themselves. However, the chair did not allow discussion on the topic, saying the issue is now with Election Commission. The House was adjourned till Thursday morning at 10am.