Irrigation Department fails to remove 'Zamindari Bunds'

Sindh Irrigation department failed to remove illegally-made "Zamindari Bunds" from Kacha areas of both right and left banks of Indus River, reliable sources disclosed to Business Recorder. Zamindari Bunds, the dykes, had been made illegally by very influential landlords in order to secure the crops cultivated on lands of Kacha areas from any kind of flood.
According to legal experts, Zamindari bunds are totally illegal which violated the Irrigation Act 1887. Prior authorities of Sindh government including Irrigation Department tried to remove the Zamindari Bunds but remained failed. Decision regarding the removal of Zamindari Bunds was taken by the prior authorities after the irreparable losses due to the floods of last year.
Now the next flood is knocking at the doors of province as well. The Irrigation Department has conducted a survey and compiled the report after doing some efforts to remove the said bunds but all efforts went useless, sources said. The water of heavy floods had come into cities including Jacobabad, Khair Pur Nathan Shah, and Garhi Khero and had washed out thousands of villages due to the zamindari bunds, sources said.
If zamindari bunds had not prevented the flood water from entering in kacha areas, cities and thousands of villages would have been secured from the recent-history's big devastation, sources claimed. Sources disclosed, when flood water was over flowing nearby Dadu-Moro Bridge, constructed on Indus River, and Dadu city was on the target, Jatoi brothers of Naushehroferoze made very little-cut in their zamindari bund on request of high level personality of the country.
Resulting, Dadu city remained safe from the devastating floods. Jatoi Brothers of National Peoples Party (NPP) have "Ketti" with the name of Ketti Jatoi in kacha area of Naushroferoze district which has a strong zamindari bund in order to make lands secure from floods.
Ketti is the name of a large area of land which consisted on thousands of acres, situated in kacha area nearby the Indus River. A high level official of Irrigation Department told Business Recorder that there are many "Ketties" in Sindh on both banks of Indus River which all have strong and tall zamindari bunds.
He said when floods will come, water could not be entered in Ketties due to said bunds, resulting water should change its flow and thus the pakka areas would be deluged totally, where towns and well-established villages are located. There is about 2 million acres of land in kacha areas of Sindh situated at right and left banks of Indus River, from where 6 lac acres of land are under the official control of Forest Department, sources informed.
Approximately, one and half lac acres of land under the control of Forest Department has been given to influential landlords on the lease of 99 years while many of them have occupied a large area of Forest land as well, sources claimed. According to information gathered by this scribe from various sources that PML-Q's Sheerazi Brothers have their Ketti in kacha area of Thatta district which has been covered with Zamindari Bund.
Recently, Aijaz Shah Sheerazi joined Sindh Government as Advisor to Chief Minster along with another Advisor and four Ministers. Ex-Chief Minister of Sindh Liaqat Jatoi has established ketti in kacha area of Dadu district; he had got the land from Forest Department on lease of 99 years during his tenure of CM-ship. A few months ago, Senior Minister for Works and Services, who has also portfolio of Forest Department, Dr Zulifqar Mirza, had cancelled the lease of Liaqat Jatoi due to political differences and gifted that land to Sardar Ahmed Khan Chandio, sources told.
Sardar Ahmed Khan Chandio, son of late Nawab Shabir Ahmed Khan Chandio, chief of Chandio tribe, had joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in return of that gift, sources added. In Khairpur Mir's district, there is a Ketti Kharl which has a Zamindari bund for the safety. Kharl family has been associated with PPP since long, the head of the family Naeem Kharl currently working as MPA.
Sindh National Front's (SNF) Chief Mumtaz Bhutto's ketti Mumtaz is situated in Larkana district; it is very popular in all ketties and has been consisted on a large area. Besides, a major chunk of Forest's land has also been under his occupancy and part of said ketti.
Chief of Hur Jamat and Pakistan Muslim League Functional (PML-F) Pir Pagara is also owner of ketti in district Khairpur Mir's. In Larkana district, there are three more ketties with the names of Khahrra ketti, Bughia ketti, ketti of Sayals, owned by political bigwigs of PPP and other parties.
In Ghotki district, there is a ketti, namely Makhdoom's ketti which has also zamindari dyke. Same like that, there are many other zamindari bunds which have been made by the political bigwigs for the safety of their lands. Sources further told that owners of ketties have constructed hunting places, swimming pools, bungalows, farm houses and other facilities in order to meet their luxury needs.
Many of officials of Irrigation Department are of the view if zamindari bunds could be removed, flood water could not enter in pakkka areas. But, Irrigation Department could not do this because political bigwigs, many of whom are part of sitting federal and provincial governments, could not allow removing said Zamindari bunds, they added.