Notwithstanding heavy rains and floods are approaching fast, due funds of Rs 1265.7 million could not be acquired for the rehabilitation of roads in Sindh which were damaged due to heavy floods few years back.
In year 2010, Sindh province had estimated Rs 446.8 billion loss to the socio-economic infrastructure due to the devastating flood, Rs 122.12 billion loss to agriculture sector, Rs 11.4 billion to livestock, Rs 52 billion to irrigation, Rs 37.5 billion to road infrastructure, Rs134.3 billion to housing units destruction, Rs 2.6 billion to health, Rs 26.9 billion to educational institutions, Rs 40 billion to municipal infrastructure, and Rs 10 billion loss to the government buildings.
Sindh had been severely affected by the floods. Dislocation of population at such a large-scale has never been experienced in Sindh’s history. Socio-economic infrastructure in eight districts had been severely damaged that included Kashmore, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Shahdadkot, Larkana, Dadu, Jamshoro, Thatta and Katcha.
Some 3 million metric tonnes of agriculture crop was damaged besides 0.2 million livestock, 8,000 km of road network, 100 health centers, 1,021,000 housing units, 4,600 educational institutions, and municipal services in some 43 towns were also destroyed.
Due to devastating floods, some 7 million people in Sindh had been badly affected, over 179 peoples had died and 700 had been injured. While over 1.3 million peoples had been transferred to flood relief camps, about 7274 villages and 43 towns have been submerged, over 2.2 million acres of crop land went under water and over 300 rice and ginning mills were destroyed.
Some 1,834 km roads were destroyed, 4,447 km farm-to-market roads damaged, 1,780 katcha roads, 160 bridges and culverts suffered damages.
A meeting in this regard was chaired by Ahsanuulah Memon, Additional Secretary Technical Works and Services Department (Tech) (W&SD) on 17 July. The purpose of the meeting was to review the financial/physical progress of ADP 2011-12 up to 30 June, new ADP proposal 2011-13, missing scheme of previous years up to 2011-12, and M&R rain damage, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Sources said the chair asked the chief engineer to submit the division wise detail of lapses as the surrender not accepted by finance department and also furnish the reason thereof, regarding new schemes of DP 2011-12. the chief engineer informed that out of 50 scheme, 33 was approved and 7 RCs submitted to the concerned administrative department for preparation of PC-I s getting approval but the same still awaited. The scope of four schemes has not yet been given by the administrative department and scheme 1 was pending. The chair said during the meeting the performance was poor which due to improper persuasion by the field officers, chief engineer (building) to furnish the reason for the delay, the sources added.
The source told Pakistan Today that the chief engineer (Highway), Hyderabad briefed about overall progress of road sector up to June 2011-12. He informed there were 299 scheme under T&C sector with an original allocation of Rs 5366.495 million.
About the missing schemes, the chair asked the chief engineer to submitt status of all missing schemes category wise up to 2011-12 category -1 Amount required up to 10 percent and category-2 required above 10 percent along physical and financial progress with full justification, source added further.
The source told Pakistan Today that regarding new schemes 2012-13 of road sector, the chief engineer informed that there are 306 new schemes out of which 43 PC-1 is under scrutiny under DG (Design) office and 2040 under preparation in divisional offices. The delayed submission of PC-1is due to application of new schedule of rate and the scheme already prepared on old schedule are to be prepared on new schedule. The chair asked to ensure submission of all PC1s to DG office up to end of the current month. The chief engineer ensured that the all PC1s will be submitted up to July. Further the chair asked the superintendent engineer to depute one technical person to assist the checking PC1s in DG office. All the executive engineers ensured that they will be submitted PC1s up to 25 of this month, the sources added.
They told that regarding priority 1 of rehabilitation of the rain affected roads, the highway chief engineer informed that against the approved cost of Rs 1265.7 million, Rs 695.472 million were released and expenditure incurred were Rs 695.4691 million. The chair asked to ensure provision of culverts/bridges on all natural cuts to ease the flow of rain/flood water. Regarding Priority II schemes, the chair asked the chief engineer to get the same modified on new schedule of rate.
