Rehabilitation: 10,000 houses being constructed in Awaran

Aziz Ahmed Jamali says project worth Rs4 billion to be completed soon

QUETTA: Awaran Rehabilitation Project Director Aziz Jamali has said that up to 16 thousand houses were demolished in Awaran and Kech districts in the 2013 earthquake. Around 27 thousand people became homeless in the Awaran earthquake. The reconstruction of these houses began 11 months ago with 3 thousand houses completed to date.

Addressing a press conference here at Quetta Press Club he said that construction work on another 10 thousand houses is underway. He added that the project worth Rs4 billion would soon be completed. He said that water supply, school and basic health units have been 70% completed in these areas. Each family is being provided two hundred and fifty thousand rupees in three instalments.

He said that the 2013 earthquake had killed 900 people and more than 2,000 people were injured. 300,000 people had been affected over an area of 40 thousand square kilometers.

He said that the government responded to the needs of food, medicines and basic health facilities immediately. In the second phase the reconstruction of homes for homeless people began with the funding of 4 billion rupees by the federal and provincial governments.

He said that the RHA project was vested with the responsibility of rehabilitation of the homeless people. A total of 96 people, of which 86 were locals, were recruited to the project and 10 vehicles purchased for the three-year scheme.

He said that 40 per cent work has been completed on the project. Some 16 thousand homes, 176 schools, 42 water supply schemes and 7 health centres were to be rehabilitated by the project. Since it began its work in January 2014 there were 54 schools, 7 health units, 34 water supply schemes under construction. He said that the gas plant announced by minister of state had been tendered.

He said that the local people were also trained to build homes in the project. He said that the local population would also be provided solar system, adding that cheques worth 2 billion rupees had been given to 26 thousand people.

He said the Saudi government has committed 25 million dollars for construction of 8 thousand homes.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2015.