Monument of Destruction: Right Bank Outfall Drainage Project
Approaching the Drainage Issue Symptoms rather Causes Big Projects (SCARP, LBOD and Now RBOD) Ignoring Sources of Drainable surplus
Ideological Division People Focused, Environment Friendly, Economically Efficient and Financially Beneficial Philosophy Versus Over Simplified, Engineering Structures Guided by Tunnel vision.
Salient Features of Drain 273 KM Long Disposal in Gharo Creek at Thatta district 282 structures Effluent: Stage –1 : 2271 Cusecs Stage –2 : 3500 Cusecs ( Drain to be Constructed) Stage – 3: Under discussion at Planning Division
Why to Hide? Issue of Transparency No single Public Consultation Hiding project related Information Why Information sharing is Essential: Generates wider public acceptance · Ensures transparency and accountability · Gives space for wider public discourse and participation · Pools knowledge base from both experts and local wisdom · Corrects project/program at planning phase
Origin of Disaster Converting Fresh Water MNV into Drain by WAPDA in 1984 Gambling with Manchar Lake
State of Decision Making/Proposals Devastation of Manchar Indus Link : 43 billion Baran Nai : 45 billion Lakha Range Foothills: 76 billion Baran Nai though Tunnel: 84 Finally RBOD: 14 billion
Basic Logic of Planners Transport drainage water from 32 drains Saving of Manchar Lake from drainage water Saving River Indus from Pollution
Reason to Ask? Why toxic drainage effluent disposed in Manchar? Who was responsible? What accountability mechanism is to deal with such kind of crimes?
Who Cares? Uprooting of Villages Complete demolition Of 75 historical villages Dislocation of People Indirect effect on 200 Villages and 50000
Discontinuation of walk Ways Increased women workload Damage to Mosques Damage to Roads, Electricity & Water Supply
End of 5000 Year Old History Burying the 5000 old History: Site of Amri Future Threat to the Shrine of Qaladar Shahbaz Danger to Fateh Ali Shah (Shrine of Ismailees)
Snatching Land from Indus River
Destruction of Ecology/Hill Torrent Management Disconnecting Hill Torrent From Indus Playing with Nature Convergence of Nai’s Future Flooding
Compensation Versus Emotion Villages represent cultural emotions Historical Right of settled piece of land Putting Rupees value to every thing? Involuntary Dislocation No choice, No land to settle Where to Go?
Grave Yard of Livelihood: Cont. Historical Water & land Rights: Versus Doctrine of Legality Market Value versus Right to Live Third Major Development in Area of 1.5 Km wide
Grave Yard of Livelihood Discontinuation of 100 W/C Leaving acres land Uncultivated acres used by Drain Discontinuing Aral Wah Discontinuation of Inundation Water sources and lift irrigation
Environment – Poverty Nexus Overflowing and Secondary Salinity Declining Quality of Ground Water Seepage will cause water logging and Salinity Touching Drain to Indus River
Environmental-Poverty Nexus Cont. Seepage and security of KB Feeder Water Quality of Kenjhar, Hadero and Haleji Lake Kotri Industrial Area Effluent Sea Intrusion, Devastation for Indus Delta at Gharo
Biological Extinction and Poverty Declined water quality in Kenjhar, Haleji and Hadero reduce number of migratory birds Overflowing of saline water & Adding Industrial effluent cause harm to fish Toxic effluent destroy aquatics life
Equity Benefit of upstream users Loss of Downstream users mostly Poor Inbuilt inequity in Project Design
Link of U/S Fresh Water Development and D/S Drains Is there any link between: Fresh water development work at U/S & Drainage work at D/S Who Guarantees completion of work ? Will it not end at D/S kotri and dispose in Indus? What Experiences tell us (LBOD, CRBIP)?
Goodbye to Indus Delta No Fresh Water D/S Kotri LBOD on Left Side RBOD on Right Side What do You Think about Indus Delta and Coast from 50 year now?