How did the Left Bank Outfall Drain cause environmental damage in southeastern Sindh?

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Physical map showing the Indus River basin and its drainage network across parts of Pakistan, India, China, and Afghanistan. The map details river courses, tributaries, canals, dams, irrigated and marsh areas, sand regions, and elevation changes with shaded relief. International, disputed, and control boundaries are marked, and a small locator map in the corner shows the basin's position within South Asia. — Indus River The Indus River basin and its drainage network.

The Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) was constructed in the 1980s and 1990s to mitigate waterlogging and salinity caused by irrigation in the Punjab and Sindh provinces. The project aimed to transport salt water to the Arabian Sea via a large artificial waterway and a 26-mile "tidal drain" in the Badin region of southeastern Sindh.1

However, due to improper design, the tidal drain failed to effectively carry salt water away. Instead, it caused an environmental disaster by flooding large areas of land, freshwater ponds, and lakes with salt water. This resulted in the destruction of freshwater fisheries and the ruin of local crops. The situation was further exacerbated by severe weather events, including a 1999 tropical cyclone and torrential rains in 2007, which led to significant loss of life and mass displacement of the local population. Following these disasters, residents of Badin have called for the government to cease the use of the LBOD.1