Badin: Addressing severe ecological and employment issues due to faulty infrastructure, Sindh’s Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the rehabilitation of the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) system. The initiative aims to restore natural water pathways and mitigate flooding affecting Badin, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, and Nawabshah districts. The restoration project focuses on the natural corridors of Dhoro Puran, which will reconnect through the Spinal Landscape Regulator at RD 210 to Shakur Lake, enhancing the region’s drainage capacity.
According to Chief Minister Sindh, the federal government constructed the LBOD during the 1980s, but subsequent mismanagement led to blocked natural water channels and significant ecological damage. The Sindh Government’s intervention seeks to rectify these issues by restoring Dhoro Puran’s natural flow, aiming to significantly improve land conditions and boost local employment by reinvigorating the region’s agriculture.
The LBOD system, initially managed by WAPDA, was meant to facilitate the drainage of 1.27 million acres spanning Shaheed Benazirabad, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, and Badin districts. However, failures in the system during the monsoons of 1994 and subsequent years led to repeated handovers between WAPDA and the Sindh Irrigation Department. The Chief Minister elaborated on the construction of critical infrastructure like the siphon at Dhoro Puran to better manage water flow, particularly in response to the challenges posed by heavy monsoon rains in 2022.
Furthermore, the event highlighted the strategic implementation of new siphons and the rehabilitation of spinal drains to alleviate pressure on the drainage system, which in past years led to overtopping and significant damage to local communities and farmlands. By improving the drainage infrastructure, the Sindh Government aims to enhance agricultural productivity and stability, providing a more sustainable and economically beneficial environment for the affected districts.
The Chief Minister’s comprehensive approach not only addresses the immediate issues of flooding and land degradation but also sets a course towards long-term ecological recovery and economic stability in the region.