150 Schemes Of Irrigation Development To Be Completed In 2016-17

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 05th Oct, 2016 ) : Special Assistant to Chief Minister Sindh, Engr Babar Effendi has informed that 150 out of 289 schemes of irrigation development would be completed during the current financial year while work was in progress to complete other scheme in stipulated period.

In an interview with APP on Wednesday, he informed that these development schemes which were being completed include cementing of various branches and regulators of Rohri and Jamrao Canals, installation of new pumping stations in Khairpur and Larkana districts and excavation works of 500 solar powered tube wells.

He said that work on installation of new pumping machines has been completed while the remaining schemes would also be completed during financial year 2016-17. Prime objective of launching these development schemes was to provide water to growers for irrigation purpose, he said adding that the lining of branches and regulators would help providing water to growers at the tail end of irrigation system.

Babar Effendi informed that the government has planned to launch nine more projects and 17 development schemes during the current financial year. He informed that the provincial government was fully committed with provision of irrigation water to the growers at the tails of canals, branches and regulators so that they could be able to get sufficient water for their crops cultivation.

Under financial assistance of the World Bank, he informed, the work of rehabilitation of Phuleli and Mithrao Canals as well as Ghotki Feeder was in progress and would be completed within 18 months.

The rehabilitation of Guddo Barrage is also being carried out under financial assistance of the World Bank, he informed and added that tenders have been invited and after completion of the process, the work would be started soon.

Similarly, the project of rehabilitation of Sukkur Barrage would also take six to seven months to start, he added. About the issue of Manchar Lake he informed that while pursuing the directives of the apex court, the provincial government has decided to provide safe drinking water to the residents of the area by setting up Reverse Osmosis (RO) Plants and providing mobile medical facility.

Though it was not a permanent solution but under the circumstances it could provide relief to population whose livelihood was attached with the lake. Effendi said that delay in completion of work on Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) Phase-II was one of the reasons which put the residents of the area around Manchar lake in miserable situation.

The causes of delay in completion of RBOD Phase-II Project was not releasing the funds in time, he said and added that according to design, the project should have been completed in 2010, but due to lack of funds, the project is not only suffered delay in completion but the cost of construction has also doubled.

He said that estimated cost of the completion of Stage-I of RBOD Phase-II Project was Rs. 29 billion, of which the project received Rs. 20 billion. The estimate of completion of the project along with Stage-II has now reached to Rs.

64 billion. The treatment of 2200 cusecs of water was planned under Stage-I and 3500 cusecs of water under Stage-II, he said. Seventy per cent physical work of the Stage-I of the project has been completed while remaining 30 percent work is still pending for completion, he added.

Effendi said that completion of RBOD Phase-II Project was the only solution of saving the water of Manchar Lake from contamination as well as protecting the users of water of lake from deadly diseases.

After completion of the project, the contaminated water would be directly disposed off into the sea instead of releasing into Indus River through Manchar Lake, he added. He said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has decided to approach the Federal government for release of remaining funds of the project so that the same could be completed for the larger interest of the people.

Effendi informed that after lifting of ban on employment from the provincial government, around one thousand vacant posts of different cadres would be filled purely on merit basis.