With rehabilitation of Manchhar Lake embankments, the nearby villages and towns like Sehwan, Bubak, Bhan Syedabad will be protected from future heavy floods and disasters
Briefing to the World Bank Technical Mission during inspection of the rehabilitation and construction works at Manchhar Lake
By Rehan Khan Khushik
Sehwan, Sindh
Sindh Irrigation Officials have claimed that the Manchhar Lake has been fully rehabilitated and with rehabilitation of its embankments, the nearby villages and towns like Sehwan, Bubak, Bhan Syedabad will be protected from future heavy floods and disasters.
They claimed this while briefing to the World Bank Technical Mission during inspection of the rehabilitation and construction works at Manchhar Lake.
The World Bank technical mission for Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project Irrigation Component visited the rehabilitated flood protection infrastructure of Manchhar Lake containing bund.
The mission comprised of Mr Ahsan Tehsin Senior Disaster Risk Managent specialist and Task Team leader, Ms. Amparo Samper Hiraldo senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist, Mr. Alessandro Palmieri consultant, Mr. Jaun Soler Cabado consultant Mr. Hendrik Arnold Vernoon Consultant, Mr. Bilal Khalid Disaster Risk Management Specialist and Aijaz Shaikh Consultant.
After heavy floods of 2022, the rehabilitation and construction works of Manchhar Lake were carried out by the Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project, irrigation department funded by the World Bank. The SFERP has responded to the impacts of the flood 2022 in Sindh by rehabilitating selected infrastructure, to improve the climate change and disaster resilience of communities and build back better.
Also read: WB Mission visits Flood Detention Dams in Kohistan Region of Sindh
Iqbal Ahmed Palijo, additional director Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project briefing on Aral Wah of Manchhar Lake said that Aral Wah has been widened to accommodate 52000 cusecs discharge from Manchhar Lake to River Indus during high floods.
About Aral head regulator, he said that piles foundations were provided with 120 piles of 80 feet depth and 1 meter dia at Aral head regulator. Palijo shared that under the project various components have been completed including raising and strengthening of Manchhar Containing Bund (RD 0 to RD100), raising and strengthening of Left Aral Bund (RD 0 to RD 19+500), remodeling and Rehabilitation of Aral Head Regulator (MC RD 0+000), Remodeling & Rehabilitation of Aral Tail Regulator (Aral Left Bund RD 2+000), Rehabilitation and remodeling of Danster Channel and its Head & Tail Regulator at RD 62 on Manchhar Lake.
About the Danister channel, he said that 17 kilometer long retaining wall was provided with both sides of channel to protect the villages near by Manchhar Lake and discharge capacity was increased from 500 cusecs to 3500 cusecs. About Danister Tail regulator, he said that Danister canal was reconstructed for 6000 cusecs capacity.
Also read: WB Mission highlights future climate change threats to Sindh
Naeem Arif, project implementation consultant, briefed the WB mission that Manchhar Lake was fully rehabilitated after the heavy flood 2022. He said that with rehabilitation of Manchhar Lake embankments, the nearby villages and towns like Sehwan, Bubak, Bhan Syedabad will be protected from future heavy floods and disasters.
Nasir Ali Panhwar, social safeguard consultant of SFERP, said that Sindh being the most vulnerable province due to climate change effects is prone to the frequent disasters. He highlighted the need to develop climate resilient infrastructure to effectively cope the future disasters.
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