A file photo of former president Asif Ali Zardari. PHOTO: AFP
“The largest reverse osmosis (RO) plant of Asia having capacity to filter two million gallons per day will be inaugurated by former president Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday,” he said presiding over a meeting at the CM House.
The chief minister said that under the Rs5 billion schemes, 750 RO plants were being installed in Thar. “This would solve their basic problems of drinking water. Out of 750 RO plants, 150 have been installed,” he said and added that the water filter plant that the Sindh Coal Development Authority has installed near Mithi is the largest in Asia. Former president Asif Ali Zardari will inaugurate this plant, Shah said.
“The RO plant in Mithi will filter a million gallon of water using solar energy and another million on electricity,” Shah said.
Thar development review
Health Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar said that primary health services have been improved in Thar and they have started giving results. “Mithi hospital has been equipped so strongly that children from nearby districts are taken there,” he said.
Minister for Livestock Jam Khan Shoro giving a briefing to the meeting said that even during drought, over 35,000 litres of milk is produced in Thar daily. “Improved water supply will bring economic opportunities to subsistence dairy farmers of Thar, if only milk-chillers are installed to enhance the life of milk so that it remains fresh till wholesalers come to villages to buy it,” he said.
Sindh Chief Secretary Sajjad Saleem Hotiana suggested that coordinated efforts are required to improve health services and relief work in Thar.
Commissioner Mirpurkhas Division Shafiq Mahesar briefing the meeting said that four phases of wheat distribution have been completed in which 252,968 families have been given wheat. The fifth phase has been started and so far 32,794 families have been given relief goods and the process is going on.
Secretary Rehabilitation Roshan Ali Shaikh said that there was a need to amend PDMA law so that relief work could be assigned at one place instead of operating through different departments.
Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Principal Secretary Alamuddin Bullo, ACS Development Mohammad Waseem, Secretary Finance Sohail Rajput, Secretary Food Saeed Awan and other senior officers attended the meeting.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2015.
COMMENTS (34)
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This is akin to Musharraf's launch of "Asia's largest fountain" in which a number of cronies filled up their pockets but the people of Karachi could never enjoy.
These people are not capable to run these type of plants, they are just interested in installing.and commissioning. The proof of that is already installed plants worth billion of rupee in lyari, kemari and other parts of province, where more than 95% of installed plants are not producing a single drop of water.
The ceremony of installation willgo ahead and the name plate will be also be put the comission will be pocketed the real proof of plant will be whether it will be be working and providing water to the residents of Tharparkur one or two years after installation, whether there will be an regular maintenance plan. Many children parks are opened with much pomp and fare but after a year or two the slides are rusted swings are broken because maintenance is forgotten.
Editor ET: Sir, please in 67 years we have had enough of 'biggest' in the world, 'biggest' in Asia, etc. Please...we have nothing to show with pride except, terrorism, sectarianism, corruption, 'JANGLI PANA' and BEGGING. As for the reverse osmosis filter plants it is the best news starting 2015. My duas are for the people of Sindh, especially Thar, after the disasters and calamities these citizens of Pakistan are facing. My prayers continue for completion of the work and maintenance when it is due. Salams. THIS COMMENT WAS SENT YESTERDAY...0201/2014. Salams
PTI is a disease that gets even worse when (status quo) parties serve the people. May Youthias get well soon.
@Rajan: No my friend you could not get to the depth of this news actually it is: Beemari launches Asia's largest (corruption filtering) RO filter Plant
@Azam Khan: Corruption is what Wadera Corruption Party does nothing else
World's Corruptest launches Asia'a largest...what a sordid joke
@sharabi: bro it is Asia's largest capacity solar powered RO plant
All those unhappy about the water purification for one excuse or another want to let the people die of thirst and hunger in Sindh and then blame the ruling party. If they don't do it they are damned if they do it then they are still damned, this is called justice and fairness. People of rural Sindh know their friends and enemies and are not as dumb as some think.
The most important thing is Maintenance of RO plants Which must be done regularly other wise we will loss its benifits. The quality of items being procured by Govt. departments need improvement. We should think about 40 to 50 years life of items where as we are doing it for our tenure of 4 to 5 years which is shamefull.
Probably no environmental impact assessment. Millions of gallons of brine will be dumped into the sea, destroying the coastal environment.
A 2 mgd plant is already installed in Gwadar, by BDA (balochistan development authority). But installing these plants is not a difficult job, to run and make sustainable is actually the chalenging task.
Zardri should have gone for Dharna and agitation not setting up water purification for poorest of the poor who have no clean water. Those who have been criticizing the plight of Thar people are now unhappy at this news. There is little support or euphoria about this wonderful news. It is not surprising the people of Sindh vote their own interest. Zardari would have been popular if he would have once given boot to Pakistani women and gone to the richest western women. The personal life and character of others is imp but not when it comes to their own cult leader.
Give credit to the Sind Government to initiate a worthwhile project for the people of Thar although costly to maintain still commendable. Lets go for bigger project like building a barrage or dyke to save flood water coming to Sind River. We need to build water availability agricultural land in the district Badin and vicinity west of Sind River. Most importantly the Government of Sind initiate Primary School project for children of Sind Province under leadership of young energetic Bilawal Bhutto. Bilawal must lead with courage and foresight that the children of Sind must get basic Primary Education. Schooling Sindhi children in both Urban and Rural areas will help Sind reach its goal of Para Likha Sindhi by 2025. Sind Must initiate and Bilawal Bhutto must Lead, Now.
RO plans,not a asia big plant its only corruption project....Zadari come but project not complete .plant require 10 boer for water but this time only 2 bore done,in thar this project only zaraadri fund khao project,not benefit for thari peoples,thar coaly department not get coal but done developments projects....
This Man with such a poor reputation should not be given any public/ social access nor media coverage for the sake of Pakistan reputation.
sorry mates but Its not Asia's largest RO plant, Chaennai have at-least 2 nos. of 24 MGPD & 1 is under construction, Gujarat have many. Recently Tianjin(china) have this big
@Azam Khan: PTI should deliver a large scale, cost effective system in KP to show that it can be done at a cheaper price.
RO plant being inaugurated by Zardari ... I fear it will yield no result.
The ceremony of installation willgo ahead and the name plate will be also be put the comission will be pocketed the real proof of plant will be whether it will be be working and providing water to the residents of Tharparkur one or two years after installation, whether there will be an regular maintenance plan. Many children parks are opened with much pomp and fare but after a year or two the slides are rusted swings are broken because maintenance is forgotten.
Well, Installing RO Plants cost $5B but keep in mind, that maintaining these plants would also cost you "arm and legs" This technology aint cheap and the way I am looking after couple years, "nothing but dead plant sitting in Tharparkar district".
Hope I am wrong!!
Why a Rs.5 BILLION scheme for Thar ?........when experts say that what is needed is hardly Rs.50 million to give relief to Thar.............loot and plunder and sink the people into further debt seems STILL to be the order of the day. For a R.O plant to function........there must FIRST be water available.
At last this greedy idiot is also waking up to keep pace with changing moods..
Whats he doing in CM? Is he a Minister?
So the RO plant was installed for the coal miners, not the poor people of Thar!
This is not factually correct. Chennai, India has two RO desalination plants functioning for three years now, each of capacity 24 million gallons per day and a third is under construction. Many larger plants are functioning in China and other parts of asia.
Well done Peoples' Government ! This is called "tabdeeli"
It will cost him less then 1% of total wealth he robbed as a result of being husband of "shaheed" bibi. But it will give him a lot of popularity, fame and above all the hapless nation of poor memory will bury his plunder, loot under this 'Asia's biggest plant.' No surprise, most al-haaj in Pakistan are the biggest tax-evaders of the country.
Once the machinery is installed, it will probably not even function for a few months and everything will come to a stand still and rust away!
I wonder how much he is making in this project. PTI should take it upon itself and tell the people how much this project costs and how much corruption the PPP has done on this project.
yup, as big the project is big is the money, not bad carr yon
Zardari also "launched" the most expensive provincial assembly building in Asia,not to forget that great service he did to the politicians of wadera corruption party