News
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
President reiterates need for master plan for drainage systemStaff Report
KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday reiterated his call for chalking out a workable comprehensive master plan for dealing with the issue of drainage system.
The comprehensive master plan should be designed to handle stagnated water with a view of restoring, remodelling and enhancing the discharge capacity of the existing drainage system for 20-year frequency flood on one hand and to identify, activate and utilise old abandoned natural Dhoras like Naro Dhoro, Hakro Dhoro, on the other. Briefing the media, Presidential Spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said that president was informed that the rainwater on about 97 percent of the area has been drained out whereas in some areas of Sanghar, Mirpur Khas, Badin and Umer Kot there were still some pockets with stagnated water. During two separate briefings held at Bilawal House Karachi today, the president reviewed situation vis-à-vis drainage of stagnated water in various parts of flood affected areas of Sindh and the progress made in distribution of Pakistan Cards among the flood victims.
Babar said the president also advised the district and PDMA officials to remove all bottlenecks and facilitate various banks to initiate their operations of distribution of Pakistan Cards even in those areas, which have, so far, remained unattended due to various constraints. President was informed that in compliance with his earlier directives, the irrigation department has prepared a conceptual master plan in two months and a foreign consultant Louis Berger would submit a detailed Master Planning report by February.
The president, after being briefed about the salient features of 20-year irrigation revamping plan, directed to rationalise the plan, on one hand, and to generate the revenue for this plan by strengthening tax collection system. Zardari said that he would himself visit the rain-affected areas to see progress on de-watering and also deputed Nadir Magsi to visit the areas and report to him about the prevailing situation within 48 hours.
Babar said that NADRA Chairman Ali Arshad Hakeem while briefing the president about progress in the distribution of Pakistan Cards informed that out of approximately 1.3 million eligible beneficiaries identified by district administrations and PDMA, around 1.1 million have so far been provided with Pakistan Cards. Hakeem said that second phase of house construction under Watan Cards that pertains to 2009 flood victims would begin in April with the donors’ assistance to the tune of Rs 14 billion, adding that agreement with World Bank in this regard was already reached. About 350,000 houses will be rebuilt in Sindh, he informed.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk