Indus Blind Dolphins: World Bank team conducts two days long visit at Guddu and Sukkur Barrages
Takeaki Sato, an International and Senior Environmental Specialist of the World Bank visited barrages for protection and conservation of Indus Blind Dolphins in mighty River Indus.
SUKKUR: Mr Takeaki Sato, an International and Senior Environmental Specialist of the World Bank has discussed with Sindh Barrages Improvement Project (SBIP) officers and direct stakeholders and consultants for protection and conservation of Indus Blind Dolphins in mighty River Indus between the reaches of Guddu to Sukkur Barrages.
A World Bank team led by Mr Takeaki Sato, an international and Senior Environmental Specialist, Mr Imran ul Haq, Senior Social Development Specialist and E&S consultant, Ibad Ur Rehman visited the Sukkur Barrage and watched the Indus Blind Dolphins at up and down streams of Sukkur Barrage.
Consultants of social safeguards Mr Jibran Kidwai and Mr Jan Mohammad Samoo of Sindh Barrages Improvement Project briefed on the Indus Blind Dolphins and other species and their protections at office of the executive engineer of Sukkur Barrage. On that occasion, the officers and consultants of Sukkur barrage were present.
Team WB along with officers of SBIP also visited ongoing work of rehabilitation and modernization of Sukkur barrage in which gates of main barrage and canals are in progress.
A World Bank team led by Mr Takeaki Sato arrived at Guddu barrage and held a meeting with direct stakeholders.
They held a meeting in detail with officers of Sindh Barrages Improvement Project led by Deputy Project Director SBIP Mr Sajid Ali Bhutto and other consultants.
The WB team discussed the safety and environment issues of the barrages and shows satisfaction.
On that occasion, Mr Takeaki Sato said that it needs to pay proper attention to the protection of Indus blind Dolphins in the River Indus.
Mr Takeaki Sato highlighted the three main and important points as Dolphin pingers to avoid dolphin access to nearest working site at Barrages like Sukkur and Guddu barrages, Dolphin rescue system establishment in the SBIP project and conducting training on Dolphin conservation. The meeting was discussed by the World Bank safeguard mission which was included by Mr Imran ul Haq, Senior Social Development Specialist and E&S consultant, Ibad Ur Rehman, Deputy project director SBIP Mr Sajid Ali Bhutto, consultants of social safeguards Mr Jibran Kadwai and Mr Jan Mohammad Samoo of Sindh Barrages Improvement Project also attended the meeting.
It was also discussed in meetings by the stakeholders as initial survey conducted by Sindh Wildlife Department found 132 Indus Dolphin in 1972 while 1490 was found in 2019 which shows continuous growth of Indus Dolphin in Guddu to Sukkur barrages areas. He said that at least Indus Dolphin surveys must be carried out on a yearly basis because this species is rare and endangered at Global level.
It was discussed that a different location downstream of Sukkur barrage would affect not only endangered Dolphins but also fish species as well as aquatic lives.
Deputy Project Director Mr Sajid Ali Bhutto briefed a World Bank mission about the Indus Blind Dolphins, he said that SBIP has released funds to WildLife Department related with protection of Indus Blind Dolphins. He said that with funds of Indus Blind Dolphins, the wildlife department has protected 21 stranded Indus Blind Dolphins from canals as soon as water was reduced in canals and lives of Indus Blind Dolphins was at stake.
The World Bank mission also visited Guddu barrage and observed ongoing replacement of gates of main barrage and canals and also observed water situation.
The team finalized its two days long visit at Guddu and Sukkur Barrages and attended de-briefing with officers of SBIP Sindh Barrages Improvement Project led by Project Director Mr Ghulam Mohi u Ddin Mughal.
It was decided to follow all plans and recommendations of the WB team following the conservation of Indus Blind Dolphins and other species.
Implementation Support Mission of World Bank
Implementation Support Mission of World Bank, led by Task Team Leader, Francois Onimus satisfied overall progress of rehabilitation of Guddu and Sukkur Barrages.
TTL World Bank Francois Onimus held the meeting with SBIP Sindh Barrages Improvement Project at ANG Abbasi Committee room of Project Coordination Monitoring Unit of Planning and development department to review and monitor the progress of Guddu and Sukkur Barrage Rehabilitation and modernization Project.
TTL World Bank Francois Onimus has also established the BMU-Barrage Management Unit.
CRE Guddu Barrage Mr Chris Hall, Project Director SBIP Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Mughal, Superintendent Engineer Abdul Razak Memon, Mr Imran Aziz Tunio technical officer SBIP and Iqbal Palejo director Mechanical of SBIP, deputy director environment SBIP Dr Ali Asghar Mahesar, Mr Izhar Leghari assistant director procurement SBIP and Mr Ehsan Leghari, Fareeha Mahar, Mohammad Aslam Ansari, Ms Faria Uqili, Dr Marium Minhas of Project Coordination and Monitoring Unit of Planning and development department government of Sindh discussed the meeting. Mr Francois Onimus also held a meeting with Minister Irrigation Sindh Jam Khan Shoro and Secretary Irrigation Sindh Sohail Ahmed Qureshi on water policy and Sindh Barrages Improvement Project.
