Already feeling the pinch of food insecurity, the agriculture sector of Pakistan has to face a loss of Rs 67 billion, as recent monsoon flooding has damaged standing crops in most of Lower Sindh. Well-placed sources told Business Recorder that the recent monsoon spell has caused huge loss to Kharif crops especially cotton, sugarcane and rice. Almost 60-80 percent cotton crop and 10-20 percent sugarcane have been destroyed completely.
About 80 percent cotton crop in Mirpur Khas, 85 percent in Badin, 85 percent in Tharparkar, 60 percent in Umarkot, 60 percent in Tando Allah Yar and Tando Muhammad Khan while 10 percent sugarcane crop in Mirpurkhas, 20 percent in Tharparkar, 10 percent in Umarkot, 10 percent in Tando Muhammad Khan and 15 percent in Badin has been damaged. Total damage to the rice crop in Badin has been recorded at 60 percent while 40 percent in Tando Muhammad Khan. The tomato crop in lower Sindh has been completely destroyed.
Sources said that most of the destruction in the Lower Sindh can be attributed to the faulty planning, design and construction of the Left Bank Out-Fall Drain (LBOD) project. The LBOD, which is a lengthy system of drains having different components, was completed in 1997. It has a capacity of 4,600 cusec of water with a provision of certain amount of rainfall. The drain has been built with a defective design and drain gets backflows of water whenever there is a high tide in the sea. Neither potential environmental nor the potential social impacts of the project in the area were considered in a meaningful way.
Sources disclosed that significant technical mistakes were made in the design of LBOD. "The effects of the LBOD on people and the environment in lower Sindh are severe. Under-estimation of risk and lack of appropriate technical measures have caused 1.1 million local people to migrate during recent monsoon flooding," they added.
Sources said that it has already been forecasted by the meteorological department that more rains are expected in Sindh while the previous rains water is still standing in streets. LBOD is already over-flowing. Sources said that diseases like malaria, eye infection, and skin rashes are spreading in flood-affected areas. According to data with Provincial Disaster Management of Sindh total deaths from August 12-24 were 17. Almost 17,375 cases of skin infection, 506 cases of malaria, 4,687 cases of eye infection, and 41,828 cases of other diseases have been recorded so far.