President’s initiatives: For development’s sake, Zardari presses regional ties

Inaugurates Darawat dam and various infrastructure projects.

HYDERABAD:

Undaunted by US’ warnings against the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project and its strategic discontent over Gwadar Port’s handover to China, President Asif Ali Zardari underlined on Saturday the need to foster regional relations.

“Pakistan needs more regional trade and that’s why projects like the gas pipeline, Gwadar port and Gwadar-Ratodero road are being undertaken,” the president said while addressing the inauguration of different projects in Hyderabad.

“We have suffered a lot but despite these afflictions we have continued our forward march,” President Zardari said.

The president observed that favourable law and order conditions are necessary for attaining development.  Referring to a recent meeting in Karachi over the security situation, he directed Sindh’s chief minister to maintain security in the port city.

“In the absence of security, everything in society becomes secondary.  I assure you that the next government, which will be yours [PPP’s], we will fully focus on law and order.”

He hoped that the Pakistan Peoples Party will win the elections with a sweeping majority.

Development Projects

Zardari laid the foundations of the M9 motorway project between Karachi and Hyderabad and also inaugurated the Hyderabad-Badin-Sanjar Chang road.



“All these roads are linked with Karachi and Gwadar. Once we are done with this inter-connectivity, there will be progress,” the president said.  The 136-kilometre M9 motorway has been criticised by communities living on both sides of the road, who say that it will adversely affect their livelihoods.

Darawat dam

Later, the president inaugurated the Rs9.3 billion Darawat dam, which is part of the Sindh small dams project, in village Jhangri of Thatta district.

The dam is located 70 kilometres west of Hyderabad in Lunikot area along the Karachi-Hyderabad super highway.

According to Project Director Gul Muhammad Junejo, the dam can store up to 89,177 acre feet of water and irrigate 25,000 acres of land.

“When I visit this place next time, I will see the cotton cultivation here,” the President said, elaborating over the benefits reaped by the dam.

However, experts are doubtful that the project will bring about any positive benefits. A senior official from the Water and Power Development Authority said that “the dam’s output will be as erratic as the torrential rains which flooded Sindh in 2011.”

He also questioned the cost effectiveness of the dam. “Rs9.3 billion has been spent on the dam’s construction in the first phase. The second phase of equipping the dam with the irrigation network is yet to begin,” he said.

Even though President Zardari sang praises of the dam, he also cautioned the populace to use the dam’s water sparingly.

“My contention is that the concept of drip irrigation has to be followed to avoid water wastage,” the president said.

The dam has been built by China’s state-owned SinoHydro company.


Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2013.