Karachi: Cracks appear in newly inaugurated dam

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Tahir Hasan Khan
Cracks appeared in the newly constructed Lal Bhakar Dam as Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah inaugurated the site on Tuesday.

Disclosing this, sources said that lifting of sand from the dam’s surroundings caused the cracks, adding that the Mines and Mineral Department was responsible for issuing permission to this effect.

Sources said that the permission to lift sand from this area was granted by the Minister for Mines and Mineral to a contractor, a close relative of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) leader. PML-F is a coalition partner in Sindh government and a PML-F leader is the minister for Mines and Minerals.

Officials in the Mines and Mineral Department claimed that the contractor was issued permission to lift sand from the other side and not the area surrounding the Lal Bhakar Dam. However, the contractor started lifting sand illegally from the side closer to the dam.

The department officials, who did not want to be named, claimed that the Local Government Department was also responsible for this damage. Officials claimed that the contractor had been earning millions of rupees from illegally lifting sand from this area, while the Lyari Development Authority (LDA) ignored this illegal activity on the directives of the bosses. The officials pointed out that the provincial minister for Local Government happens to be a relative of the spiritual leader of Sindh, while the contractor is a close relative of PML-F leader.

Sources said that CM House had taken notice of these irregularities few months ago after receiving complaints and directed the authorities concerned to impose a ban on lifting sand from the dam surroundings.

However, the Mines and Mineral Dept misguided the chief minister and informed the CM House that the lifting of sand had been stopped although this activity was going on, which finally caused cracks in the newly constructed dam, officials claimed.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=201956