PPP MPAs face to face over cut in LBOD

MIRPURKHAS, Aug 28,2022- Left Bank Outfall Drain – LBOD brought devastation in five districts of Sindh, including Digri sub-division, the assembly members of ruling party PPP are face to face.

PPP’s Parliamentary Secretary and MPA Mir Tariq Ali Khan Talpur told in a press conference on Saturday that the towns of his constituency are submerged in water of drains. He announced, if the people go with him, at the zero point, they will administer cut in the drain so that standing water can be flown into the sea.

Whereas PPP’s MPA from Thar, Arbab Lutfullah, is not in favor of cuts in the LBOD drain at zero point in any case.

It may be noted that the rain water of five districts, including Digri sub-division, flows into the sea at zero point through the natural old passage Puran River.

Pressure on LBOD embankments increasing

But due to encroachment on the natural water passage, this water drainage route has been closed. Hence the Digri,Tando Jan Muhammad, Jhudo and Naukot are submerged. Likewise many areas of five districts – Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and a part of Tharparkar under water as rainwater accumulated was not finding passage.

This water will stand for six months in these areas without cutting the barriers of this natural passage of water which can cause widespread destruction in the area.

Mir Tariq Talpur, MPA of Digri said that the entire area is submerged at this time. The wheat crop will not be cultivated in the future and this will create a food crisis and added there is no other way, except cut in the LBOD.

Tariq Talpur said people cannot see their areas sinking, that is why he will accompany people and make a cut so that the drainage of the water causing havoc in our areas can be possible.

People’s Party MPA Arbab Lutfullah from Thar and his supporters are not in favor of the cut. They say that this will cause havoc in their area as well. Crops and homes will be destroyed. So they are guarding there to prevent any cutting. He warned that in any case, he will not allow any cut in the drain. Only the top leadership of the PPP can find an immediate solution to this problem. Or Pakistan Army can save these areas from destruction. These losses can be avoided in the future by solving the problem through mutual understanding.

PPP MNA Munawar Talpar after visiting the water passage alleged that Arbab Lutfullah wanted to save his friends lands, but priority should people be saved from drowning by administering a cut at zero point of LBOD.

During visit of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday, Mir Munawar Talpur told Shah that if this does not happen, the city of Mirpur will be submerged and hundreds of villages will be drowned, there will be huge loss of life and properties.

Munawar Talpur also informed about the situation and damages of Taluka Jhudo and Kot Ghulam Mohammad town.

Tariq Talpur during his meeting with CM Sindh in Mirpurkhas emphasized on the hardships of the people and migration from their areas, crops being washed away in water .

What is LBOD?

Left Bank Outfall Drain is a drainage canal in Sindh. It was built during 1987 and 1997 with a funding from the World Bank. The canal collects saline water, industrial effluents and Indus river basin floodwater from more than two million hectares of land of Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas and Badin districts located in Nara river basin into the Arabian Sea.

Capacity of LBOD

Its designed capacity is 4,500 cusecs. The canal’s effluent disseminates into Dhoro Puran Outfall Drain (DPOD) with capacity of 2000 cusec and Kadhan Pateji Outfall Drain (KPOD) having capacity of 2500 cusec.

The DPOD empties into Shakoor Lake located both in Pakistan and India whereas effluent of KPDO is directly discharged into sea through 41 km long Tidal Link Canal.

Drainage capacity of canal has been increased to 9000 cusecs after 2011 floods by de-silting of bed of drain, raising banks up to two feet, repairing damaged hydraulic structures and by clearing vegetative growth.