Severe Tensions Emerge Within Politicians, Military and US on Diversion of Flood Water By Shah Masiha, Jacobabad www.worldtowinpk.net August 14, 2010 August 14 is the ‘independence day’ in Pakistan and officially the rulers are sending messages of unity to all Pakistanis but the divisions amongst the rulers are all bare to be seen. The Pakistani rulers are now bitterly divided along various lines as to how to tackle the flood situation. There are divisions within the ruling PPP where the landlords are up at arms against each other quite openly in the media as well. There are divisions between the various Provincial governments as Pushtoonkhawa and Balochistan governments accused the Federal PPP government of ignoring their provinces. There are developing strife between the Sindh and Balochistan district level administration in the border areas as they try to stop refugees or breaches in flooded canals. The military installations are under threat and this divides the political landlord favoring PPP government and the military on the diversion of the flood-water. In Jacobabad Sindh the US military base is under threat and this has created divisions amongst the allied forces of US and Pakistan military resulting in transfer of top Pakistani official. The refugees themselves are being attacked by various ethnic forces within Sindh and the refugee-attack issue is being used to build hatred against the Pushtoons and other ethnic groups. The following account is based on conversation with a number of effected people in flooded areas from Sukkur and Jacobabad Jacababad is 150 to 120 kilometer away from Thori Band on Guddu Barrage River Indus. And now the entire district of Jacab is flooded to save the Guddu Barrage. Initially the breach at Thori was only 20 feet wide. And now it is flour Kilometers wide! Obvouisly hundred of square kilometers of land is being deliberately flooded to save a barrage irrigated a vast land of landlords including formers army Generals. Flood water from Guddu is being carried through Begari canal to 50 kilometers which has capacity of 1000 cusecs while 200,000 cusecs is being discharged into it. As a result Begari Canal gets breached at a number of places. And there is little state protection available. Thereby only those breaches are filled which threaten the land of the powerful. After flooding Jacboabad this water will fall into another canal called Sim Branch which has a capacity of 1500 cusecs and therefore this will result in more breaches and more flooding. US has a military base in Jacobabad called Shehbaz Air Base on over 500 acres of land and is the latest in Pakistan. F16s were stationed here and this base is used to attack Afghanistan and strategically is more important for an attack on Iran. It appears that the breach at Thori Band while it floods Jacababad will submerge the airbase. Therefore the negligence and lack of interest shown by the government and the military is being taken as an attempt to drown the US base. On August 13th the Pakistani Commanding Officer of Jacobabad region was transferred and within a day his replacement joined. The rulers are bitterly divided about the way forward. Everyday a minister and an MP is accused by the other that they are flooding others lands to save theirs. The military has taken control of many sensitive locations like barrages and canals and it too is being regularly accused by people and politicians of ignoring flood work to its own interests. The Chief Minister of Sindh Province said
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yesterday that if the breaches in upper Sindh are not filled than the water will enter Manchar Lake thus drowning the entire fertile upper region. On the other hand the government is doing nothing to fill the breaches. The District Commissioner Jacobabad went to create a breach at Jacobabad By-pass to save Jacobabad city but there was no machinery around. When a TV reporter asked the DC said live on TV that the military is not cooperating in filling the breaches and is only interested in saving some lives. The nearby province Balochistan government west of Jacobabad Sindh is not allowing refugees from Jacobabad to Quetta. Refugees are being stopped at Sibi and are not allowed to enter Quetta. In order to save Jacobabad the DC wanted to make a breach in Sim Branch which will divert water to the Jafferabad District in Balochistan. In order to stop the DC Jacobabad the DC Jafferabad attacked and fired at their opponents and machinery was taken away. While this was happening the military did not interfere. 20 million people are effected by floods in Pakistan. In Sindh alone it is estimated that 2.5 million people have been displaced. Those intending to migrate face severe problems. Disease, lack of food and water are the most severe. A van taking 20 people used to charge Rs 10,000 from Jacobabad to Karachi, now it charges Rs 50,000. A Rs100 mobile card now costs Rs 500. There are shortage and hence sky-rocketing prices of food items in bigger cities where milk and vegetables are now disappearing from shops. It is important that refugees are helped and protests organized against all the forces that are responsible for flooding and displacement of millions.
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