President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated his call for chalking out a workable comprehensive master plan for dealing with the issue of draining water from the flood-hit areas of Sindh.
He also directed that the discharge capacity of the existing drainage system be restored, remodelled and enhanced for 20 years and abandoned old natural paths for floodwater including Naro Dhoro and Hakro Dhoro identified, activated and utilised.
The president also advised the district and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) officials to help various banks start their operations for distributing Watan Cards in areas that have remained unattended so far due to various constraints.
During two separate briefings held at the Bilawal House in Karachi on Monday, the president reviewed situation of floodwater still inundating many areas of the province and the progress made in the distribution of Watan Cards among the flood survivors.
Briefing the media, the president spokesperson Farhatullah Babar said the participants of the meeting on drainage of floodwater were informed that 97 percent areas have been drained. However, there are still some areas in Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Badin and Umerkot that are still submerged.
The president was informed that in compliance with his earlier directives, the Irrigation Department has prepared a conceptual master plan in two months and a foreign consultant – M/s Louis Berger – would submit a detailed master planning report by February 2012.
The president, after being briefed about the salient features of the 20-year irrigation revamping plan, directed that the project should be rationalised revenue should be generated for it by strengthening the tax collection system.
The president said he would personally visit the rain-affected areas to inspect the dewatering work. He also tasked Nadir Magsi to visit these areas and submit a report to him within 48 hours.
The president expressed satisfaction that despite the heavy downpour, the country had sufficient wheat stock available. He also asked for exploring the market in the neighbourhood for exporting the commodity.
The president’s spokesperson said during the meeting on Watan Cards, the NADRA chairman told the president that out of approximately 1.3 million eligible beneficiaries identified by the district administrations and the PDMA, around 1.1 million have been provided with the cards so far. NADRA has set up 91 Watan Card sites out of the planned 96 outlets in various flood-affected districts of the province and out of them, 53 have been closed after completing operations and 38 are still operational.
So far, Rs 9 billion has been distributed among the eligible beneficiaries of the Watan Cards.
The NADRA chairman also informed the president that the second phase of house construction under the Watan Cards, pertaining to the flood survivors of 2009, would begin in April this year with donors’ assistance to the tune of Rs 14 billion.
The agreement with the World Bank in this regard has already been reached. About 350,000 houses will be rebuilt in the province.
The President advised NADRA and other concerned authorities that the distribution of Watan Cards should be completed in all 16 affected districts and various banks should be facilitated in starting their operations in areas that have remained unattended so far.
He also advised that the government should ensure release of the necessary funding so that the process of providing direct relief to the beneficiaries remains unhindered.
Those present during the briefings included Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, oprovincial ministers Murad Ali Shah, Agha Siraj Durrani, Nadir Magsi, Shazia Marri, Muzaffar Ali Shujra, Jam Saifullah Dharejo, Sharmila Farooqui, SAPM on Water and Agriculture Kamal Majidullah and NADRA Chairman Ali Arshad Hakeem.
