Mitigating natural disasters: CDWP clears Rs37 billion projects
The body also recommended the construction of Basool Dam, Shadi Kaur Storage Dam
Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal chairing the meeting of CDWP on Tuesday. PHOTO: PID
ISLAMABAD:
In a bid to minimise the damages caused by the natural disasters including floods, the federal government on Tuesday cleared four development schemes worth Rs37 billion which are expected to help mitigate risk from floods and other natural disasters.
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), headed by Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, cleared seven schemes for a total worth of Rs57.5 billion.
Among the projects cleared, there were four disaster prevention projects, two each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), the regions worst affected during the 2014 floods.
After the 2014 floods which affected over 2 million people and destroyed crops planted over one million acres in 45 districts of Punjab, AJK and G-B, the government in partnership with World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) has chalked up a plan to minimise the destruction caused by natural calamities.
After CDWP’s clearance, which can only approve projects worth up to Rs3 billion, all the schemes costing more than Rs3 billion will now be taken up by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) for final approval.
The CDWP recommended an umbrella project of Disaster and Climate Resilience Improvement Project in Punjab to ECNEC for final approval. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs10.2 billion, which will be fully funded by the WB and will be completed in four years.
The project is aimed at controlling the flow of flood water and path of river waterways within river boundaries. The project will also seek to upgrade irrigated land and existing infrastructure in the riverine area.
The body also recommended a Rs17.7 billion Flood Emergency Reconstruction and Resilience Project to the ECNEC. The project aims to rehabilitate and reconstruct roads and bridges damaged by floods in Punjab. The project is expected to be completed in three years. The Punjab government will provide Rs1.8 billion while remaining Rs15.9 billion will be financed by the ADB as a loan.
The project will not only mitigate the environmental degradation but will also upgrade flood protection structures to prevent future disasters. It will also improve the Punjab’s disaster management capacity.
The CDWP also cleared the Rs6.6 billion Flood Emergency Reconstruction and Resilience Project for Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The project envisages rehabilitation of 234 kilometres of roads damaged during floods of 2014 in various districts. The project will be funded by the ADB and the federal government.
The body also approved the Disaster and Climate Resilience Improvement Project at a cost of Rs2.5 billion, fully funded by the WB. The scheme has been conceived to build capacity of AJK in disaster and climate change prevention.
Other projects cleared
During the Tuesday’s meeting, CDWP also cleared a project worth Rs9.6 billion for the construction of Basool Dam. The project site is located at 54 km North West of Ormara Town, Gawadar District of Balochistan. The Ormara Town Naval Base and about nine villages located on either side of the Basool River will benefit from this project. The dam will provide irrigation water to an area of 4,712 hectare (11,638 acres) of land through efficient pipeline conveyance system.
The project for the Construction of Shadi Kaur Storage Dam and Appurtenant Works was also cleared at cost of Rs7.9 billion. It will provide 70.28 cusecs of water to irrigate 7,600 acres of agriculture land. The project will also provide drinking water to 15,000 people of Pasni and surrounding areas besides mitigating flood losses.
The body approved construction of access road from Makran Coastal Highway to New International Airport at Gawadar. The total cost of the project is Rs503 million, which will be financed by the federal government and will be completed in one and half year.
In a bid to minimise the damages caused by the natural disasters including floods, the federal government on Tuesday cleared four development schemes worth Rs37 billion which are expected to help mitigate risk from floods and other natural disasters.
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), headed by Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, cleared seven schemes for a total worth of Rs57.5 billion.
Among the projects cleared, there were four disaster prevention projects, two each in Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), the regions worst affected during the 2014 floods.
After the 2014 floods which affected over 2 million people and destroyed crops planted over one million acres in 45 districts of Punjab, AJK and G-B, the government in partnership with World Bank (WB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) has chalked up a plan to minimise the destruction caused by natural calamities.
After CDWP’s clearance, which can only approve projects worth up to Rs3 billion, all the schemes costing more than Rs3 billion will now be taken up by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) for final approval.
The CDWP recommended an umbrella project of Disaster and Climate Resilience Improvement Project in Punjab to ECNEC for final approval. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs10.2 billion, which will be fully funded by the WB and will be completed in four years.
The project is aimed at controlling the flow of flood water and path of river waterways within river boundaries. The project will also seek to upgrade irrigated land and existing infrastructure in the riverine area.
The body also recommended a Rs17.7 billion Flood Emergency Reconstruction and Resilience Project to the ECNEC. The project aims to rehabilitate and reconstruct roads and bridges damaged by floods in Punjab. The project is expected to be completed in three years. The Punjab government will provide Rs1.8 billion while remaining Rs15.9 billion will be financed by the ADB as a loan.
The project will not only mitigate the environmental degradation but will also upgrade flood protection structures to prevent future disasters. It will also improve the Punjab’s disaster management capacity.
The CDWP also cleared the Rs6.6 billion Flood Emergency Reconstruction and Resilience Project for Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The project envisages rehabilitation of 234 kilometres of roads damaged during floods of 2014 in various districts. The project will be funded by the ADB and the federal government.
The body also approved the Disaster and Climate Resilience Improvement Project at a cost of Rs2.5 billion, fully funded by the WB. The scheme has been conceived to build capacity of AJK in disaster and climate change prevention.
Other projects cleared
During the Tuesday’s meeting, CDWP also cleared a project worth Rs9.6 billion for the construction of Basool Dam. The project site is located at 54 km North West of Ormara Town, Gawadar District of Balochistan. The Ormara Town Naval Base and about nine villages located on either side of the Basool River will benefit from this project. The dam will provide irrigation water to an area of 4,712 hectare (11,638 acres) of land through efficient pipeline conveyance system.
The project for the Construction of Shadi Kaur Storage Dam and Appurtenant Works was also cleared at cost of Rs7.9 billion. It will provide 70.28 cusecs of water to irrigate 7,600 acres of agriculture land. The project will also provide drinking water to 15,000 people of Pasni and surrounding areas besides mitigating flood losses.
The body approved construction of access road from Makran Coastal Highway to New International Airport at Gawadar. The total cost of the project is Rs503 million, which will be financed by the federal government and will be completed in one and half year.