For improving agriculture yield per acre, the executive committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec), approved construction of 100 delay-action dams in Balochistan, and directed the officials for fast track completion, Planning Commission sources said on Friday.
Under Package-I, 20 such dams, costing Rs 2.15 billion, will be constructed in districts Awaran, Kalat, Bolan, Chaghi, Gwadar, Khuzdar, Killa Abdullah, Killa Saifullah, Kech, Lasbela, Loralai, Mastung, Musakhel, Panjgur, Pishin, Quetta, Washuk, Ziarat and Zhob.
The project will add 55,000 acre-feet (AF) additional water to already available water resources, which will irrigate about 35,000 acres agricultural land and help in recharging the groundwater to maintain the water table at a reasonable level.
More than 13,000 households will benefit from the project, which will be completed in three years. The project will be instrumental in providing jobs to more than 5,000 skilled/unskilled workers of Balochistan, providing livelihood and increasing living standard of the local community. Gross value of crops production in financial terms will increase from Rs 17.42 million to Rs 389.53 million per year.
The per acre income will increase from Rs 12,778 to Rs 25,650 per year. The committee also approved a project, titled 'Construction of Shadikaur Dam Appurtenant Works and related Irrigation System', at a cost of Rs 2,637 million.
Shadikaur dam will be constructed at 50 km north of Pasni, district Gwadar, with storage capacity of 37,000 acre-feet (AF). The dam will irrigate 7,600 acres land and will be a source for supplying drinking water to 15,000 people. The dam will also mitigate flood hazards. It will be completed through 260 professionals, and additional 10,390 jobs will be created after completion of the project.
The Ecnec desired to complete the project on fast track basis and to explore the possibility of international financial assistance and additional resource mobilisation for the project. The Ecnec also approved the project 'Revamping/rehabilitation of irrigation & drainage systems', costing Rs 12,963 million.
The main objective of the project is to improve operational efficiency by ensuring the safety of canal system and delivering due share of water to the farmers at the tail reaches (end of the canal). This will be achieved through strengthening of canal and drain banks (8,082 km long), silt clearance of branches (3,635 km), stone pitching of canal bank (380 km), repairing/remodelling of 241 regulators, rehabilitation of 201 bridges, repair and extension of 11,725 modules, revamping and rehabilitation of Salinity Control and Reclamation Project (Scarp) tube-wells and re-sectioning of 568 km surface drain.
The Ecnec also directed completion of the project on fast track basis and to explore the possibility of international financial assistance and additional resource mobilisation for the project.
First meeting of the Task Force on Social Sector was chaired by Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Salman Faruqui, and co-chaired by Javed Jabbar, and Shoaib Sultan Khan, Chairman NRSP. The Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Social Sector (SAPM) Shehnaz Wazir Ali and eminent personalities from relevant disciplines participated in the first deliberation meeting.
The Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, while sharing his views, pointed out that lot of resource documents were available. "However, we are lacking an action plan for successful implementation. The Social Sector now has priority and received the highest ever development allocation." He emphasised need for a comprehensive, doable plan of action within given time line which needs to be developed.