Breaches occur in canals of rural Sindh

SUKKUR: After the spell of heavy rains, breaches occurred in different canals inundating cultivated seasonal crops over hundreds of acres. Reports said that after the heavy rain spell, the water level in the canals had risen. A 50 feet wide breach developed in the Kakar Canal near Seetta Road, which inundated village Waris Dino Machi destroying hundreds of acres of agricultural crops of villagers, including cotton and other crops.

The villagers said that they had approached the irrigation officials for plugging the breach but they failed to arrive, which caused damage to the crops. Reports said that a 30-foot breach also happened in the Waris dino Machi Canal near Ratedero, which played havoc with people. The villagers after 12-hour hectic efforts overcame the breach but their seasonal crops submerged under water.

Reports said that another 40 feet breach occurred in Lund Minor near Gharhi Khairo which also inundated the seasonal crops of villagers. The villagers demanded compensation and draining out of the breach water from their crops.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah reached Johi and Kacho to review the flash flood damages on Sunday. The chief minister got an aerial view of the affected areas. He was briefed by the irrigation officials about the breaches, damages and relief work as well as evacuation of the marooned people. The chief minister during the visit expressed dissatisfaction over the working of the irrigation department as well as the local administration. He said the Sindh government will not leave alone the victims of Johi and Kacho. He claimed Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was getting updates about the flash floods situation and relief from him.

The chief minister Sindh said that it will be examined whether the irrigation department and local administration received advisory of the weather department or not. If they did receive it, then why they did not take prompt measures.

He said that there was pressure of eight feet water, then why and how the breach occurred in the flood protective dyke. He said the Pakistan Army, along with civilian government, was assisting the flood victims. He said that the Sindh government had received rain advisory from the weather department, which says that the coastal belt Badin, Nawabshah, Benazirabad would be affected by rain while the northern areas might be receiving low rains. He said that after getting the rain advisory, he had appointed ministers and MPAs in their respective districts to monitor the rain situation. He said that there was no apprehension of flooding of the Johi city. He said that the Sindh government was doing its job well to ensure relief to the people of Sindh and did not care about the allegations and accusations of the opposition.