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BADO JABAL: Unveiling Picturesque Sindh…

By: HAMEED DIPLAI

Love and hospitality; these are two significant signs by which Sindhi people can be
recognized. The land of Sindh is full with colors and contrasts. Unique culture,
customs, traditions, affections, music, folk wisdom, huge reservoirs of minerals,
rivers, seashores, mountains, sand dunes, deserts, agricultural patches and living
style makes Sindh different from other part of the country. This beauty and
richness at the same time is tragedy of Sindh. Due to this beauty and richness
Sindh is being pricks as a throne in the eyes of strong lobbies of power corridors so
far Sindh has been ignored in term of development priorities including
infrastructure development, education and healthcare services since partition. Not
only this, Sindh has been overlooked to develop tourist spots at pleasant locations
and Archaeological sites. There are many places which are propagated as insecure
and unsafe places to visit. These historical sites were deliberately handed over to
dacoits who made these sites inaccessible for common people and tourists.
Hundreds sites exists in Sindh which can be made attractive points for tourists but
ignored due to so-called security reasons. Can one believe that Gorakh Hills are
one of the highest peaks in Sindh (5500 ft) where people can find chilly
atmosphere even in June and July? This is really fantastic place but ignored in
every government. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif visited Gorakh Hills
in person during their regimes and announced its development but all words went
in van. Despite hundreds promises, Gorakh Hills are not in easy access yet. Bado
Jabal (Mountain) is another peek of Khirthar range that separates Sindh province
from Balochistan province. Khirthar range has provided the natural geographical
distribution for the two provinces.
Bado Jabal has a great importance due to its high altitude and ideal location. It is
most suitable location for construction of hill station. Bado Jabal has a form of a
large plateau is approximately 3250 ft high above mean Sea Level (Some people
says its’ height is 3500 ft). Due to which it has a suitable and pleasant climate for
healthy environment. The weather at the hill in summer is very pleasant, with
moderate temperatures during the day, dropping to slightly chilly at night. In
winter, however, the temperature goes down to almost 0 degree centigrade. Ariel
view of Bado presents a beautiful view of a valley. The area is surrounded by arid
mountains with small green pastures at certain points. Bado Jabal is also famous
for availability of Unani plants called Paneer.
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Bado Jabal is situated at a distance of 60 kilometers in South West of Sehwan

Sharif town. From the administrative point of view, Bado Jabal lies within the
jurisdiction of Union Council Jhangara, Taluka Sehwan, and District Jamshoro.
The site is accessible from Karachi via Sehwan Sharif. Sehwan Sharif is about 137
kilometers away from Jamshoro. The Indus highway from Jamshoro to Sehwan
Sharif is in very good condition. One can enjoy the pleasant drive on this scenic
route with the Indus River flowing on the right and a view of the barren
mountains on the left. Though, road conditions from Sehwan Sharif towards Bado
Jabal are not in good conditions but one can easily drive the car onwards top of the
mountain. Further in south, a network of jeep-able track connects the deep area of
hills with black top road. During the rainy season, various streams of water can be
observed flowing throughout the area. Every footstep at Bado Jabal is scenic and
one can enjoy the romance of chilly winds. But such a pleasant and beautiful
location which can be constructed as hill station but however is unnoticed in
priority list of state.

It has scattered tribal communities living over the top of the mountain and in
surrounding valleys. The communities living in and around Bado Jabal are
Gaincho, Sehtani, Shahani, and Chutto. Majority of inhabitants of Bado are
helpless to lead a nomadic life due to harsh survival conditions and settled in
temporary huts made by stones. They have to walk on foot for miles on rocky
tracks for their daily chores and in search of one time meal. Survival under these
conditions defies imagination and is as much a testament to the resilience and
strength of the inhabitants as to the neglect of these communities. Local
communities depend on livestock and rain-fed agriculture. Most households own
camels and herds of sheep and goats. Women have to walk miles every day in
search of firewood and fetching drinking water because there is a sever shortage of
water in the areas. Scarcity of potable water is common phenomena at and around
Bado Jabal because there are no streams or water channels and rivers exist at Bado.
The Naing Nai (River) which is a seasonal river lies to the west of Bado. It
originates to the southwest of the Bado in Khirthar Mountain runs north parallel to
Bhit and Bado Jabal. Communities living at this peek do not have any other
source of getting fresh water but they usually collect and store potable water
through rainwater, and 60 to 70 ft deep open wells. Some natural springs are also
found in Bado Jabal range which is also an important source of drinking water for
both local communities and livestock as well. But as hot days begins, water in such
sources dry out and people hardly find a single drop of water from such sources
and a severe shortage occurred on Mountain. This is only the reason inhabitants of
Bado lead a nomadic life.
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Almost entire population of Bado Jabal is illiterate and educational situation

presents a dismal picture and literacy is negligible. Almost all adults – men and
women – in the area are illiterate. Existing Government School building at top of
the Jabal is being operated by Sindh Police as Radio Room. Due to height of
mountain, radio room can receive signals and control the messages from various
Districts of Sindh even Dadu, Jamshoro, Nawabshah, Noshehro Feroz, Thatta,
Mirpurkhas and Badin. Now a local NGO based in Jhangara has opened
community primary schools at Bado where parents are keenly enrolling their
children. Initially this school is running in stone-made huts provided by local
communities.

Healthcare is also equally poor. Although government-sponsored child

immunization teams periodically visit the area but a permanent health facility
does not exit at Bado Jabal. Patients with serious ailments go to Jhangara, Sehwan
and Hyderabad for medical care. Many spend their whole life without seeing a
medical professional.

Keeping in view pleasant environment of Bado Jabal, Government of Sindh

initiated various projects at Bado during the tenure of late Abdullah Shah. Late
Abdullah Shah during his tenure as Chief Minister (1993-1996) took personal
efforts to develop Bado Jabal as tourist point as this area was his constituency. Late
Abdullah Shah was planning to setup “Bado Benazir” Taluka (An administrative unit
of District) @ Bado Jabal. Village Jhangara was planned to establish as Taluka
headquarter in hot days while Bado Jabal in chilly days. In regard with this
planning, Provincial Government acquired land at Bado to construct revenue
offices. Bado was connected with Jhangara and Sehwan through a road network.
Government of Sindh approved establishing Chest Diseases Hospital, Police
Training Center, Power Supply, Housing Scheme and Water Supply Scheme to
local residents of Bado Jabal. Late Abdullah Shah inaugurated construction work
on Chest Diseases Hospital and Police Training Center. Establishment of Police
Training Center for 3000 police cadet and setup Police posts at and around Bado
Jabal was aimed to provide a safe and secure location to patients, tourists and local
inhabitants as well.

So far, building of infrastructure of Chest Diseases Hospital and Police Training

Center initiated and completed almost 75% work and left incompletely in half as
Government dissolved. Similarly, 200 to 300 two-room concrete houses were
planned to construct to setup permanent settlements for Bado communities who
were leading a nomadic life but only 05 houses could be built up. Infrastructure at
this time is presenting the view of ruins.
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Likewise, Pak Rs. 25.407 millions for Water Supply Scheme for Bado Jabal was
approved in July 1994. Later scheme was modified and cost also revised from Pak
Rs. 25.407 millions to 79.579 millions on April 12, 1996. According to revised
approved scheme, 6” Dia G.1 pipes 54,000 ft in length was laid from tube well @
Bandhni area to the top of Bado Jabal which consisting on 02 Booster Pumping
Stations but major work on scheme could not be started and scheme remained
abounded since 1996-97 to date. Since Abdullah Shah Regime came to end, no
development is seen on these projects and a huge amount spent uselessly on
infrastructure. Though, Mr. Liaqat Jatoi visited the area as Federal Minister in
Musharraf Regime and committed to kickoff the work but promises could not be
made true.

People of Bado Jabal being a respectable citizen of beloved country ought to have
quality education services, adequate healthcare and availability of fresh water at
doorstep. Completion of these projects/schemes will retain people at homes.
Provincial Ministry of Planning & Development is suggested to take a role to
restart edifice on Chest Diseases Hospital, Water Supply Scheme and Police
Training Center. District and Taluka Government of Jamshoro and Sehwan
respectively are suggested handy administrative units of ministry to complete
these projects on immediate basis. Provincial Minister Murad Ali Shah is supposed
to take a lead role in resuming these projects as these schemes were dream of his
late father Abdullah Shah.

More to the point, as human and vehicular traffic will be increased, local people
will have opportunity to set own businesses and get enough substance to uplift
their lifestyle. Not only this, but these projects will be caused to unveil a
picturesque location for day-trippers and tourists and those who can not manage
to pay an expensive visit to Muree. In addition, Provincial Ministry of Tourism
and Culture needs to discover such overlooked locations in Sindh and promote
properly as safe and secure sites to be visited. Appropriate and accurate
presentation of scenic locations and historical places will portray an image of
Sindh as a peaceful and picturesque territory as well.

Please check relevant photos by clicking link below.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35632185@N03/