Distressing, indeed, it is to learn from a Business Recorder report from Islamabad that the fate of Asian Development Bank's Second Flood Protection Sector Project (SFPSP) worth $100 million, continues to hang in the balance due to protracted delay in its execution. Scheduled to commence on October 1, 1999, and marked for completion by end 2005, strangely enough work on it could not be initiated until end June 2003.
Further, the report has it that sensing the lack of interest by concerned authorities, the ADB had decided to cancel the loan in September 2003. However, it is stated to have shelved it on an assurance from the Finance Minister that the work would be completed soon. It has also been recalled that earlier in 2001, the bank had suspended the loan on May 11, 2001, but soon restored it, following signing of a contract for some consultation services.
Viewed in this perspective, ADB's disappointment over the long delay in execution should be quite understandable. It appears to be disposed to termination of the loan, among other things, on the perception that it could also adversely impact on the rating of its portfolio.
Moreover, it has been pointed out that the Federal Flood Commission (FFC), which is the implementing agency of the project, has delayed release of outstanding payments to consultants, thereby hampering the implementation process, which is directly related to the flow of disbursements.
The disquieting report on the disarray in the implementation of projects related to flood control, coming close to monsoon cloudbursts, should serve as a grim reminder of the havoc wrought by floods in this country over a long past. Besides heavy losses of life and property, the phenomenon has continued to make its impact felt on the nation's preponderant agricultural economy, and its agri-based industries.
It will also be recalled that past governments, though seemingly inspired by the urge to meet the challenge of floods, failed to do the needful to produce the desired results. Their failures, in this regard, are understandable too. However, viewed in the perspective of the present government's overall approach to accumulated problems, the inordinate delay in the flood related projects will appear quite intriguing.
For one thing, in December 2004, FFC's Scrutinising Committee approved 65 projects costing Rs 1.985 billion for management of floodwater in the four provinces under re-formulated FPSP-II. In all 75 projects had come up for consideration, out of which 10 projects, pertaining to Sindh and NWFP were deferred.
The projects approved comprised eight from Punjab and 19 each from Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan. The estimated cost the eight Punjab projects was Rs 529.503 million, as against the estimates for projects from Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan at Rs 1,019.320 million, Rs 244.508 million, and Rs 192.265 million respectively.
Of the 10 deferred projects, four from Sindh, and six from Balochistan, deferment was attributed to lack of data, and the provinces concerned were requested to provide the complete information in the next meeting of the Scrutinising Committee, which was scheduled to held 10 days later. Earlier, in April, the same year, Federal Minister for Water and Power, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, was reported to have stated that the federal government had allocated Rs 350 million for the Flood Protection Programme, and Rs 275 million for the re-formulated SFPS projects in the current financial year.
These observations were made after the detailed presentation on the progress of ongoing projects, as given by the Chief Engineering Advisor to FFC, drawing the minister's attention also to the work in hand of Meteorological Department, Wapda and the consultants on the flood forecasting and warning components of the projects.
The minister was also reported to have been apprised of clearance of 45 schemes for implementation, at an estimated cost of Rs 296.245 million, for the normal/emergent flood programme, and of release Rs 242 million for the re-formulated SFPS projects in various stages of completion.
All this put together will point to a serious shortcomings in implementation of the SFPS project, beckoning the government to take expeditious measures to address the looming threat.