Daily Times

LARKANA: Poor plannig, rampant corruption and bad governance have deteriorated the drainage sytem of Larkana.

Almost 70% sewerage water of Larkana city is drained out through pipes and discharged into the Rice Canal which flows in the mid of the city, thus causing serious health problems due to contamination of underground water.

The sewerage water is drained into the Rice Canal without obtaining mandatory no objection certificate (NOC) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Earlier, the Sindh government approved a scheme worth Rs 1.4 billion in 2012-13 under which disposal of sewerage water into Rice Canal was to be stopped. This scheme was inaugurated by PPP MNA Faryal Talpur in January 2014, but due to delay in release of funds, the scheme could not be completed in the given time frame of two years.

The authorities concerned could not even operatinalise five disposal schemes in different areas of the city including Police Line, Suhail Colony, Nazar Muhalla, Zulfiqar Bagh and Murad Wahan.

Sources said that a sum of Rs 22 billion was spent on construction of roads and sewerage drains during the last PPP-led government tenure. But even after lapse of three to four years, the construction material could not be removed from the drains. As a result the drains choked.

However, PHED Executive Engineer Abdul Wahab Sahto while talking to media on Monday said that it would take three years to complete the ongoing sewerage and drainage schemes.