Tail-end growers protest against irri-water scarcity in Larkana, Kamber-Shahdadkot
Imtiaz Gorar/S.Nazir
LARKANA/SUKKUR: Monsoon rain trigger floods have swollen river Indus in major parts of country particularly at Guddu Barrage of Sindh, PDMA warned inhabitants of Katcha areas to move safer places immediately as met forecast 6 days heavy rainfall in province.
On the other hand, tail-end growers of Warrah canal of Larkana, Kamber-Shahdadkot held protest demo against acute shortage of irrigation water. The protesting villagers alleged that hundreds acres of paddy samplings turned dry due to apathy of irrigation officials here before the Press Club on Wednesday.
While, flood continued to wreak havoc KPK, Punjab and now in Sindh and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) already announced flood warning for six Riverine districts and provided thousands of tents, boats, mosquito nets and other necessities to the local administration as well established their control room in Sukkur on Wednesday.
Pak Army started their patrolling at sensitive embankments of several parts of districts in province, while Katcha areas at Guddu, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Larkana, Sukkur and Khairpur districts gradually started shifting their families on safe places.
Currently, the local administrations yet to be preparing their horses for further move despite of receiving flood warning and evacuation, the districts administration claimed yesterday to establish Tent cities for stranded people alongside the embankments at all district jurisdictions but failed to do yet.
There are the reports of inundation of several villages among Gul Hassan Solangi, Ali Nawaz Solangi, Murad Chachar, Rahib Mazari, Qadir Solangi, Ali Gul Shar, Allah Wadhayo Sundrani Faiz Bindo, KT Pagaro, KT Juneja and others in various Katcha areas of River Indus at Kashmore-Ghotki told the reports.
According to reports, there is no volunteer corps to manage, rescue operations, flood or fire fighting trained team in civil administration or civil defense to avert any situation in emergency. All seemed a failure like 2010 super flood.
Latest hydrological reports disclosed that there is no increase in water level since Monday or Tuesday as the risk of a medium to high floods over 0.4 million cusecs deluge was predicted by the irrigation officials and PDMA authorities but still maintained at Guddu and Sukkur, it was 353361 cusecs and 269560 cusecs respectively.
It is also pertinent to be mention here that the experts have warned upcoming deluge pressure on 46 vulnerable River Indus areas, which can divert flood like Tori-Band incident due to illegal occupation of hundred and thousands acre inside River Indus Katcha areas by influential MNAs, MPAs and landlords occupied since the decades and safer places for criminals and dacoits.
The observers can view these large scale occupied areas inside the River Indus like in-front of Aqil-Agani and others also witnessed.
There are States and K.Ts/J.Ts of different chieftains of communities and villages in River Indus of Katcha areas, over 1300 miles embankments around River Indus among 46 are sensitive are still vulnerable of more deluge told irrigation officials and PDMA.
Whereas, illegal occupation on these hundreds and thousands of acre land inside River Indus in Katcha areas from Kashmore to tail-end by a large number of influential MNAs, MPAs and landlords could affect and build up pressure on number of 46 vulnerable points of River Indus among Aqil-Agani, Nusrat Loop Band, K.K Band, Qadir-pur, Old Tori, Ruk Spur, Mohen-Jo-Daro embankment, SH Band and others, which resulting possible diversion of River Indus as before Tori-Band incident experts told.
It is also expected 0.6 million deluges will reach on July 26th and monsoon heavy rainfall from 23rd (today) is expected for more 5 to 6 days in Sindh forecast the Met and PDMA on Wednesday.
PDMA Sindh has directed the district administration and irrigation authorities to take all precautionary measures to avoid any untoward incident and damages they warned. The authorities are still concerned of 46 sensitive embankments need to be repair and proper monitoring.
The residents of various villages of Union Council Gaji Khuhawar Taluka Warah of Kamber-Shahdadkot Larkana division continued their protest for shortage of irri-water to cultivate paddy crops already sowed samplings were damaged and turn dried due to unavailability. They also alleged that concerned officials were demanding bribe for release of irrigation water to the tail-enders.
On the occasion, villagers among Aziz Lashari, Fazalullah Lashari, Ghulam Nabi Tunio, Sher Muhammad Brohi and others demanded of Chief Minister Sindh, DG Rangers and other high-ups to take notice shortage of irrigation water against the corrupt irrigation officials and mitigate their problems.