ISLAMABAD: A longstanding inter-provincial discord over Saifullah Magsi Canal has been resolved after the intervention of Federal Ombudsman M Salman Faruqui. According to details, the federal ombudsman took up a complaint lodged by residents of Qambar Shahdadkot, Gandakha and Usta Muhammad wherein they had stated that nearly 54,000 acres of agricultural land in Balochistan was at the verge of devastation due to non-opening of siphons by the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) at Qambar Shahdadkot for drainage of extra and salty water for the districts of Jacobabad, Kashmore, Naseerabad, Jafarabad and Qambar Shahdadkot. According to complainants, over 25,000 people, 2,000 villages and 5,000 cattle had been affected following the closure of the canal. They said around 9,000 acres of agricultural land had been destroyed resulting in a financial loss of Rs 1.5 billion in three years and over 100 deaths. Approximately 40% population of the area concerned had migrated to other districts due to artificial floods and medical conditions, they added. According to the office of the Federal Ombudsman, earlier all the provinces had agreed on the necessary drainage project, but the Sindh government was reluctant to open the siphon which caused overflow of the thrown wastage that turned into artificial flood; thus affecting thousands of acres of land an a number of people there. On the directions of the Prime Minister’s office, the matter was discussed between two provinces and the WAPDA was directed to early release the required funds for the drainage project. Ministry of Water and Power Secretary Mohammad Younus Dagha told the federal ombudsman that over 82% work against the approved PC-1 cost of Rs 4.485 billion for an underpass on the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD-III) had been completed. Sources said that the project could not be operationalised due to re-alignment issues on the RBOD-III between the governments of Sindh and Balochistan on the assumption that the extension of the drain alignment could pose a threat to Qambar Shahdadkot. In this connection, Pir Bashsh Jamali, Wafaqi Mohtasid Secretariat secretary, managed the coordination between the Ministry of Inter-provincial Coordination, Ministry of Water and Power, WAPDA and the Balochistan government for early implementation of the decision.