Sindh Irrigation department has failed again to meet the deadline to complete 41 rehabilitation schemes of Indus and non-Indus dykes, reliable sources told Business Recorder. The authorities of Irrigation department had announced that on-going rehabilitation works would be completed till June 30 2011.
Earlier, the department had set May 31, 2011 as deadline to complete the dykes rehabilitation schemes, but it failed to meet the deadline and the date was extended by one month. The rehabilitation work was started in March 2011 and the department had to complete the task before the monsoon season.
But monsoon rains have started in many areas of country and level of water in rivers is increasing day by day. As Metrology department has predicted monsoon rains in Sindh but Irrigation department failed to complete rehabilitation work. According to details, contractors of Irrigation department are working on rehabilitation of Gorhaghat-Tori-Makhwani link Bund, Qadirpur Loop Bund, M.S Bund, P.B Bund, Kot Aalmoo Bund, Manchhar Containing Bank, S.H Bund, Bahar Bund, Hillaya Bund, Surjani Bund, raising and strengthening of Bandar walls and Bunds in Barrage division of Sukkkur, Aqil Loop Bund, Larkana-Sehwan Bund, S.M Bund, L.S Bund, Suprio Bund, reconstruction of Danstar Head Regulator in Jamshoro, F.P Bund, Bund of Rahimyar Khan-Rajanpur, K. K Bund, Kashmore Bund, Baiji Bund, L. M Bund (old), Ghallian Front Bund, H. P. Bund and many other Indus and non-Indus embankments.
The breaches occurred in the Indus and non-Indus embankments during last year's heavy floods, resultantly thousands of villages were washed away more than one million families were displaced. These works had been initiated by Irrigation department with loan of Asian Development Bank after the refusal of Federal government for funds.
ADB had provided $405 million loan to Sindh government in March 2011 to rehabilitate the flood-damaged dykes and infrastructure. On the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari, many committees were formed to monitor the rehabilitation works, but the task could not be completed within the stipulated timeframe even in the extended period.
In order to complete the work on given time, Sindh government had also appointed water expert Idris Rajput and NESPAK as consultants of the rehabilitation works but these proved useless in this regard. Keeping the prevailing situation in view, flood-affected growers of many areas of Sindh did not cultivated crops of Kharif season which will cause low-production of Rice in Sindh, sources said.