Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has urged the World Bank (WB) to provide technical assistance for conducting feasibility study for construction of an alternate barrage of 89-year-old Sukkur barrage.
This feasibility study component is a part of the World Bank sponsored Sindh Barrage Improvement Project and we are seriously considering constructing the new barrage and an alternate of the old Sukkur barrage which is the life line of agro-economy of the province.”
This he said on Friday while presiding over a virtual meeting with World bank Country Director Mr Najy Binhassine here at CM House.
The meeting was attended by Advisor Agriculture Manzoor Wassan, Minister Local Government Nasir Shah, Minister Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro, Special Assistant to CM on Social Sector Haris Gazdar, Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Local Government Najam Shah, Secretary Health Kazim Jatoi, Secretary Agriculture Parvaiz Sihar, Secretary Finance Asif Jahangir, Secretary irrigation Suhail Qureshi and Adl Secretary to CM Fayaz Jatoi and others.The chief minister said that Sukkur Barrage was commissioned in 1932 and now it has completed its logical life.
He added that Sukkur barrage was the lifeline of the province and it was supplying water to seven major canals, including three right bank and four left bank canals.The irrigation minister told the World Bank Country Director that the provincial government was seriously thinking of constructing an alternate barrage of the Sukkur barrage for which a feasibility study was required.
At this the chief minister added that there was a component of conducting feasibility study of Sukkur Barrage in the barrage improvement project.
The Country Director of the World Bank told the chief minister that the experts of the World bank would visit the barrage very soon and after the visit and necessary discussion technical assistance would be provided to the Sindh government for preparation of the PC-1 of the project.
SWAT: CM Advisor on Agriculture Manzoor Wassan briefing the meeting about a 6-year `Sindh water & Agriculture Transformation Project’ said that under the $340 million projectHydraulic Boundaries in twenty two districts, including Hyderabad, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, TM Khan, Sukkur, Ghotki, Dadu, Larkana, Jamshoro, Jacobabad, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Qambar ShadadKot, Khairpur, Umerkot, Sajawal, Nowsheroferoz, Matiyari, Tando Allah Yar, Shikarpur, Thatta and Shaheed Benazirabad would developed from January 2022.
He added that this would boost the rural economy and promote sound water resources management for the objectives of agricultural development, economic growth and environmental sustainability.
The project is aimed at increasing agricultural water productivity,which could be achieved through integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) under Sindh Irrigation & Agriculture Project, the chief minister said. The project entails Remodeling/rehabilitation of Akram Wah.
Feasibility Studies of NW Canal, Rice Canal, Dadu Canal and Warah Branch would be conducted for Improvement in Water service delivery.
Sindh Human Capital Project: The Sindh Human Capital Project of Rs4.57 billion project has five different components, including Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) services, Medical Record system linking mother-child dyad with services, Education & learning intervention for school children, adolescent girls and adult women, Conditional Cash transfer (CCT) for uptake of RMNCH and nutrition service and Supporting frontline healthcare and population Welfare Service through COVID-19 and natural disaster.
The chief minister said that the Concept Clearance Proposal (CCP) of the project has been approved by the CDWP and now a formal request would be sent to the World Bank for approval. The Country Director of the World Bank said that the project would be considered for approval in the World Bank Board shortly.
