Revival of Manchhar Lake, refreshing of contaminated aquifers on anvil: Murad Shah

KARACHI: Sindh chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the ground water almost all over Sindh has become contaminated, therefore he was in constant touch with the experts and donor agencies to stem the rot.

He said that his government was proving water supply and drainage schemes to the rural areas of the province and simultaneously another plan was being evolved to refresh and revive ground water quality. “The biggest reservoir of contaminated water has accumulated in Manchhar lake and we are working on a plan with World Bank and European donor and expert agencies to wash and refresh Manchhar Lake to revive its past glory,” he said.

This he said on Saturday while presiding over different meetings to finalise their uplift portfolio for the next financial year.

PHE dept: The Public Health Engineering Department meeting was attended by Minister Local Government Saeed Ghani, Chairperson P&D Naheed Shah, Secretary PHE Roshan Shaikh, Secretary Local Government Khalid Hyder Shah, Special secretary Finance Asif Jahangir, Member (Services) P&D Fatah Tunio, chief engineer PHE dept and other concerned officers.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that ground water all over Sindh, except a few districts used to be sweet and fresh but with the passage of time its quality went on deteriorating, as result the government has to switched over to RO plants to meet the need of drinking water in rural areas. “The actual solution of the problem lies in adopting scientific approach for improving the quality of ground water for which I am working with World Bank and other agencies to launch a comprehensive plan to refresh and revive the aquifers,” he said.

Mr Shah said that PHE dept was most important in terms of its services of providing efficient water supply and drainage schemes in rural areas of the province. “I want the department must complete its on-going schemes so that people could take benefit out of them and plan launching more schemes in other or leftover villages,” he said.

Secretary PHE Roshan Shaikh told the chief minister that in the next financial year 169 schemes, including 96 on-going and 169 new would be completed with an estimated cost of Rs26.7 billion. He added that the schemes to be completed, include 39 on-going water supply and 57 on-going drainage schemes during the current calendar year. The new 28 water supply and 15 drainage schemes would also be completed in the next financial year but in the current calendar year.

Local Govt: Minister Local government Saeed Ghani told the chief minister that during current financial year his department would be completing 100 schemes of Rs13.5 billion.

The chief minister said that in the next financial year he would give some important schemes to Karachi which include roads, flyover and beautification of important places. He also said that the rural areas of Karachi would also be given importance in the next ADP.

Education: Presiding another meeting of the education department the chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was told by Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah that thee were 9600 shelterless schools in Sindh, of them only 71 units have around 100 enrolments.

At this the chief minister taking policy decision said that the shelterless school which have about 40 enrolment should be shifted to a nearby government school. “The school which has less than 40 students cannot be termed as [shelterless] school, therefore such schools may be deleted from the list of the shelterless schools,” he said.

The chief minister also directed education department to focus on teachers training programmes. “Our teachers must be well-trained so that their teaching skills can be developed,” he said.

Taking another decision, the chief minister directed education department to reconstruct 160 dangerous school buildings. “Some schools buildings have become too old, therefore their reconstruction or revamping must be made,” he said.

Works & Services: The chief minister in another meeting of Works & Service department was told that there were 349 schemes, including one new of Rs33.5 billion against which Rs26.5 billion have been released and 90 percent utilization of the funds released funds have been made.

Works & Service Minister Syed Nasir Shah said that out of 348 schemes, 326 were of highways, 14 of Thar Coal – the road schemes transferred by Thar coal to works department, three transferred by Special initiatives department and six of buildings were in progress.

He said that out of 349 schemes, 108 schemes, including one of the building would be completed by the end of current financial year and the remaining would be done during the next financial year.

Irrigation dept: The chief minister was told that 56 schemes of Rs18.1 billion would be completed by the end of current financial year.

To a question, Minister Irrigation Syed Nasir Shah said that the some of the schemes to be completed were construction of Recharge Dam across Angai-II Nai located in the Central Kohistan, construction of three Recharge Dams Dilan, Naig and Mazarrani Recharge Dam in upper Kohistan area, construction of two small dams at Acar Salar Goth Bin Qasim, construction of Stone pitching/ retaining wall of Rohri Cnal near Ranipur, construction of bridge over LBOD main Sim Nala and construction of drain from Haji Ali Ahmad Mahri to T.M Khan and various others.

The chief minister said that he would pay surprise visit of some of the schemes just after approval of the budget.

Condolence:

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressing his deep grief and sorrow over the death of leading Shia Ulema Allama Abbas Kumeli has said that he was a good scholar and great person. His services for fostering sectarian harmony would always be remembered.

He prayed Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in the eternal peace and grant courage to the family members to bear this irreparable loss.