Road to Gorakh hill resort not safe enough

Minister notes delays in project, urges improvement.

KARACHI: Initial surveys indicate that the road leading to Gorakh Hill Resort, a resort in Dadu district, needs to be made safer and more accessible.

Taking note of the delays in the resort project, Sindh Minister for Tourism Shazia Marri has directed officials to speed up work.  Marri presided over a meeting on Tuesday to review progress on the project, which aims to set up an idyllic resort in the hills in Dadu so that people in Sindh have their own little summer getaway.

The Sindh tourism department is working on the project through a Public Private Partnership (PPP). Director General of the Gorakh Hill Development Authority (GHDA) Abdul Qadir Mangi said the department in collaboration with the PPP unit and the Sindh finance department started working with Transaction Adviser (TA) Earnst & Young Ford Rhodes and Meinhardt on April 6, 2010, after open competitive bidding. The TA has prepared a feasibility study report for the project, which also includes recommendations for a development plan.

The preliminary surveys undertaken by the TA suggest that the access road from Wahi Pandi to Gorakh Hill Summit (56 kilometres) needs to be improved so that it is safer and more easily accessible to tourists.

A detailed topographic survey and geo-technical survey was underway to ensure that the road is designed according to requirements. The DG informed the meeting that the surveys have been delayed in Johi due to the flood but should be resumed shortly.

Secretary Tourism Rabiya Javeri Agha expressed her concerns over the release of funds for initial work. She said the flood had caused losses of around Rs2.6 million to the Gorakh project and infrastructure including road and water supply has been damaged.

Marri stressed the need to finish the project soon. She said the road leading to the resort must be easily accessed by tourists. She directed the DG Gorakh to ensure the socio-economic viability of the project. It was decided in the meeting that after the result of the topographic and geotechnical surveys were received, another meeting of all stakeholders will be convened.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Tourism, Director Finance Dilawar Mangi and Deputy Secretary Tourism Wali Muhammad Qureshi.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2010.