Flood plan awaits nod from Punjab, K-P

Rs177.6b flood management project approved by Sindh, Balochistan


Sehrish Wasif April 25, 2018

ISLAMABAD: The draft PC-1 of the National Flood Protection Plan (NFPP) Phase-IV worth Rs177.6 billion has been endorsed by Sindh and Balochistan, but the federal government is still awaiting response from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Punjab.

Talking to The Express Tribune, an official privy to the development said that once the two remaining provinces gave their nod, the draft PC-1 would be finalised and sent to the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval.

Last year in May, the Council of Common Interests (CCI) had approved Rs177.6 billion for the NFPP Phase-IV, of which 50% will be provided by the federal government and the rest pooled from the provincial governments.

“Sindh was the first province to approve this plan followed by Balochistan. Soon K-P will give its final approval, but it seems like Punjab will create some issues in endorsing it,” said the official. He added that the draft contained all the recommendations and suggestions given by the provinces.

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According to official documents, the NFPP is a 10-year plan spanning from 2016 to 2026. It aims at developing an integrated flood management system by focusing on reservoir operations, flood forecasting and early warning, flood risk zoning, watershed management, flood proofing and insurance, disaster management, and other non-infrastructural measures.

“While considering the current impact of climate change in the region, especially Pakistan, this plan is the need of the hour… and once implemented, it will help the country avoid huge financial and human losses caused by flooding,” said the official.

Over the last few years, floods have wreaked havoc in Pakistan during the monsoon season. The country has not only faced massive human loss but huge economic loss as well.

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