LARKANA/DADU/KAMBAR/JAMSHORO To monitor the precautionary and response measures for the anticipated Indus River and hill torrent floods, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday visited the critical zones at Moria loop bund, Manchar basin and other drainage basins.
In anticipation of the potential 2024 floods, the provincial premier inspected key areas, including the Moria Loop Bund on the Indus River, located 40 miles downstream from the Sukkur Barrage on the right bank in Larkana District. In addition, he further reviewed the entire Manchar Basin flood protection and drainage system, spanning from Hamal Lake to the Aral Head near Manchhar at Sehwan.
In his whirlwind tour from Larkana to Sehwan, Mr Shah along with Provincial Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro reviewed the condition of the irrigation system on the right bank and the impact of the ongoing heavy downpour which could further erode the under-repair bunds in the post-2022 flood scenario.
Moria Loop Bund (Larkana): Minister Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro and Secretary Irrigation Zareef Khero gave a detailed briefing to the CM regarding the condition of the Morio Loop Bund.
This stretch of the bund serves as the first line of defence and is situated on the right bank of the Indus River, approximately 40 miles downstream from the Sukkur Barrage and 18 miles upstream from the Khairpur-Larkana Bridge. Following the 2023 flood, it has been identified as particularly vulnerable due to the river’s extended curvature towards the bund, which has resulted in increased whirling and erosive activity.
Considering the alarming condition of the Bund, the irrigation department on the instructions of Murad executed emergency work on a war footing basis by deploying heavy earth moving machinery and 150000 ft of stone boulders were stocked at Bund to face any untoward situation that occurred during this flood. At present the position of Bund is quite safe and stable to face fears of future floods.
Suprio Bund (Dadu): Constructed in 1932, the Suprio Bund serves as the second line of defence against hill torrent runoff, protecting the cities of Taluka Mehar and K.N. Shah from RD-0 to RD-95 (19 miles). It has since been extended by 13.4 miles to safeguard Warah, Gaji Khuhawar, and K.N. Shah. The chief minister emphasized the need for proper pitching and strengthening of the bund to enhance its effectiveness.
Secretary Irrigation Zarif Khero said that after floods 2022, the extension work of Suprio Bund was carried out via Nara Distry / Khuda Wah Distry from RD-0 to RD-47 Taluka K.N Shah district Dadu in Rice Canal Division Larkana, which has been completed. Now the total length of Suprio Bund stands at 41.8 Miles. Presently, the Bund is quite safe and stable to face fears of future floods.
Hamal Lake (Kambar Shahdadkot: Murad Ali Shah visited Hamal Lake at zero point and got a detailed briefing.
Hamal Lake is situated in Qambar Shahdadkot District, 58 km from Larkana city and 40 km from Qambar town. The length of the lake is 25 km and the width is 10 km and has a surface area of 2965 acres (1200 ha) parallel to Flood Protective (F.P Bund). It is a freshwater lake, and the main source of water is the streams that come through from the hill-torrents of Khirthar Range.
The CM pointed out that whenever the water level increases at Hamal Lake, the water is drained out towards Manchar Lake from the Head Regulator of MNV Drain (RBOD-I) at RD-346 of F.P Bund and it flows towards its final destination – RD-0 Manchar Lake at about 115 Km away from Hamal Lake.
Secretary Irrigation Zarif Khero informed the CM that the Zero of Gauge at the Head Regulator of MNV Drain is RL-130.50. During Flood 2022, it was recorded at 18.4 ft. ( RL-148.90). During this Monsoon season- 2023 the RL recorded at the Head Regulator of MNV Drain at 3.3 ft. equivalent to RL-133.80 and the situation seems normal.
MNV: The chief minister was told that the Main Nara Valley (MNV) was constructed with the chief purpose of assuaging pressure on the F.P. Bund during floods. Stretching from RD-0 at Manchhar to RD-346 of the F.P. Bund, it features five gates, each 10 feet wide, designed to channel water from the F.P. Bund into Manchhar Lake.
Under the administrative control of the Irrigation Department, the Design Discharge of MNV Drain stands at 1500 cusecs. In 1994 the MNV Drain was administratively handed over to WAPDA, which was redesigned at the system of District Larkana, Kamber-Shahdadkot & Dadu. The MNV Drain is officially known as RBOD-I.
As the MNV drain falls under WAPDA, the Chief Minister directed the Secretary of Irrigation and the Chief Engineer of the Sukkur Barrage right bank to prioritize emergency maintenance by addressing any breaches in the MNV to prevent overflow and protect the communities in Qambar-Shahdadkot and Dadu districts from potential damage.
FP Bund: The Flood Protective Bund (F.P Bund) was constructed in 1932 as a part of Sukkur Barrage Scheme, the CM was told. It is situated near the foothills of Khirthar Range on the Eastern side of RD-0 of Manchhar Lake, the entire length is 119.70 Front line and 52.4 mile second line of Flood Protection Bunds. The objective of F.P Bund is to protect the Command area of Right Bank of Sukkur Barrage and its infrastructure.
Total Length of F.P Bund is 119.7 Miles comprises on four Divisions – 19.0 Miles Saifullah Magsi Branch Division Shahdadkot, 31.0 Miles Warah Division Larkana, 25.7 Miles Rice Canal Division Larkana & 44.0 Miles of Southern Dadu Division. The top RL of the Bund is 148.40. The position of Bund is quite safe and stable to face fears of future floods.
The chief minister of Sindh instructed the Irrigation authorities to ensure that the drainage infrastructures are kept clean and well-maintained for timely evacuation of monsoon rainwater.
RELIEF ON ELECTRIC BILLS:
Media talk: The chief minister during his visit to irrigation facilities and systems on the Right Bank of the River Indus talked to media and touched some important issues as follows:
To a question Murad Shah giving an oblique reference to the federal government said that they don’t have funds to carry out development works in Sindh but they arranged money to provide relief in electricity bills in a particular province.
The CM said that his leadership has instructed him to provide permanent relief in the electricity bills to the people of Sindh. “This is not a relief in which only subsidies have been offered for only two months and the third month for the poor customers would turn out to be again a bombshell.
Mr Shah said that the power crisis in terms of its cost of production has been created by those who preferred to install power plants at imported coal and LNG. “They stopped Sindh from installing solar and wind power projects and now they are saying that the solution to generate low-cost electricity lies in solar, wind and Thar coal power generation,” he said.
The CM said that his government would never drain out public funds by providing temporary, unstable and impractical subsidy but “we are exploring ways and means to provide affordable electricity to our people,” he reiterated.
To another question, the CM said that the MNV drain was the federal entity. “People are protesting against its [MNV] vulnerable embankments, but the federal government has no funds for the people of Sindh to strengthen the embankments of the MNV drain and carry out such other important projects here,” he lamented.
Flood-affected houses: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah during surprise visit to Village Muhammad Khoso of Mehar, District Dadu, a flood-affected woman welcomed him [CM] with garland. She expressed gratitude and prayed for Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the chief minister for constructing of elevated houses to protect flood-affected families from future inundation.
The village has 150 houses for flood affected people, of them 109 have been completed.
It may be noted that the Sindh government is constructing 2.1 million houses for the flood affected people in the province. Over 600,000 houses have been constructed and work on others is in full swing, the CM told the media.