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A rain havoc in coastal Sindh
Aamir Kabir
The twin coastal districts of Badin and Thatta have been hard hit by recent rains. As a matter of fact these two districts are no strangers to such misfortunes. The tragic case of Badin and Thatta districts is a typical example of our callous attitude of turning eyes from genuine issues. 
This is not the first time that these areas have been hit hard by such weather-related calamities. There have been several occasions before, as well when the people of this area witnessed such miseries.
Within the past decade as well, the coastal areas of Sindh had witnessed a mass exodus owing to the cyclone 2A, earthquake and massive sea intrusion which has lately become a permanent rogue of this area.
The Sindh government is carrying out a survey to determine the extent of the losses caused by rains in the coastal belt, where the initial reports suggest that rainstorm has submerged more than a million acres of farmland. To get a true extent of the damages, it is required that the government agencies, like Suparco is also involved in carrying out a satellite survey of the area.
The federal and provincial governments along with certain donor agencies have collectively announced a grant of billions of rupees for helping the flood-affected people, and they are being supplied with wheat, cash money and water along with fodder for their livestock. But are these steps enough?
How long can we help these flood-stricken people in this fashion by setting up emergency relief centres, pumping cash flow, sending trucks of food for humans and animals and appealing to the people of the country and abroad to deposit money in flood relief funds?
It is generally accepted that the coastal areas have seen considerable climatic and geographical changes over the last several years. Recurrent floods associated with sea intrusion have led to the realization that this will be a continuing phenomenon and the prevailing situation is likely to persist further.
And keeping in mind global climatic changes it is apparent that in future, too, we should be ready to face such situations until something practical is done to avert it. Thus, instead of initiating emergency relief operations every two to three years, why not invest massively once and get rid of such famine-like situation forever by reverting this deprived area back to glory it had in the past, when it used to serve as a bread basket for entire Sindh?
The entire coastline has been badly affected primarily due to the absence of effective drainage system and a raised water table as rain water could not get percolated swiftly. Most of the fertile agriculture fields here have turned into the saline water ponds. Besides, sea intrusion has also resulted in irreparable environmental damage to the entire coastal belt.
Archaeologists while reminiscing the Indus Valley Civilization downfall 3500 years ago, are now uncovering strong evidence that the world's earliest civilization was brought down largely by
accumulation of salt in its irrigated fields.
The combination of heavy rainstorms and salt-water intrusion has changed the geomorphology of the Indus delta considerably. Over the years the area of active growth of the delta has reduced from an original estimate of 2600 sq km to about 260 sq km. Freshwater reaches only a few of the creeks and others have become blocked. Inadequate drainage system has caused the failure of irrigation system throughout the coastal areas. Deficient planning and improper execution of a number of projects have led to substantial monetary loss to the exchequer.
The failure of the drainage system portrays the entire coastal strip of Sindh as a drainage bowl as the reports pouring in from Badin of the destroyed tidal link indicates that saline water of the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD), which was commenced in 1986 to lower and control the groundwater level and disposal of saline drainage effluent of about 1.25 million acres of lands of Nawabshah, Sanghar and Mirpur Khas, instead of going in to sea is continuously destroying the Badin District lands.
Hence, there is no denying the fact that agriculture extinction in Badin could be attributed largely to defective planning of the LBOD and the tidal link and not solely to the scarcity of freshwater and recent heavy rain fall.
Further, diverting of water of Jamrao canal to the LBOD to use it as a escape canal proved to be devastating for entire Badin area as whole water spilled out of already crippled LBOD and found its way to the surrounding villages which were already flooded due to heavy rains.
It would be interesting to note that the LBOD with a tidal link was launched with a cost of over Rs800 million to save the coastal belt near Badin from the saline effluent from the upper Sindh, but
unfortunately, the tidal link lasted for less than one year, thereby devastating efficacy of the whole project.
It would be worthwhile to note that the irrigation experts of Sindh had raised serious objections on the design of the project by pointing out that the sea remains at high tide all the year at the proposed place of the tidal link, therefore sea might not accept the saline water drained through the LBOD. Their apprehensions came true when high tides washed away the tidal link within one year of its inauguration and the LBOD effluent, instead of going into the sea was being pushed back into the LBOD network and was inundating the adjoining lands.
Environmentalists are of the view that water storages at upper reaches of the Indus have left the entire coastal belt gasping for fresh water. So far 18 barrages, three major dams, 12 inter-river link canals, two siphons and 43 main canals have been constructed on the River Indus and its tributaries. None of these projects was assessed for its environmental impact on the downstream ecosystem and livelihood of the lower riparian.
According to a charter of the United Nations all development of any kind on the upstream ecosystem is bound with the prior approval and agreement of the people of the downstream. By not honouring such
international, national and regional bindings and accords our coastal areas have become a tragic symbol of the poor planning and undisciplined greed.
Freshwater fisheries have been completely replaced by marine fisheries in districts of Thatta and Badin. Local fishermen, who have lived for generations along the Indus, have migrated to the interior of Sindh for earning their livelihood as labourers. Those who stay on have no other marketable skills and end up depending on intermittent short-term jobs for their survival.
Given these changes the government of the day has a greater responsibility for the successful management of its coastal lands than was the case in the past. As a result it is crucial that the ministers be advised by only the managers who have a broad knowledge of the environmental issues.
The history of the world is full of examples where effective management of coastal lands against sea intrusion turned them into oases. We need to initiate an integrated water resources development
programme in the coastal areas to change the fate and face of the area. Due to high water table, increased salinity level and scarcity of freshwater all attempts to exploit groundwater are not likely to
yield tangible results. The only option left is an effective drainage system to the entire coastal belt. If we want to seek the participation of the people of this underprivileged area of the province in the drive towards agricultural self-sufficiency then we will have to do it.
What seems to be clear is that the capital investment required for this project may not be recovered and repaid solely from agricultural activities. If the government decides to fund such a project for the coastal districts of Thatta and Badin, it would have to think of as a subsidized regional development programme rather than a straight- forward economic investment.
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Pakissan.com;
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