Gwadar to get 12mg water per day by next year

ISLAMABAD (APP): Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) was working on various projects to provide 12 million gallon water per day to port city  by next year. According to an official of (GDA) Gwadar Development Authority, the existing water crisis in the city would be clogged in the coming days, adding various projects were in the pipeline to provide clean drinking water facility on priority.  80 percent work on Sawad Dam, having the capacity to provide 5 million gallon water to the city, have already been completed. The project will start supplying water from April 2018. Likewise, another 3 million Gallon water capacity Shadi Kaur Dam will be completed by the end of current calendar year. The dam is being constructed with the help of China. Besides, Balochistan Government was finalizing a plan to construct 100 new dams for maintaining water level and irrigation, he added. The provincial government has decided to purchase 2 MGD desalination plant from China Overseas Ports Holding Company (COPHC).

The Chinese company is also installing a desalination plant and it will be completed by the mid of this year.

Besides, another desalination plant of 5 million gallons clean drinking water producing capacity would be completed in record time.

Currently, he said 360 bowser and 45 trawler tankers are supplying water to Gwadar from Mirani dam to Gwadar city.

 PCCC to ensure top quality cotton seeds: Secy

 MULTAN (APP): Secretary Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) Dr Muhammad Ali Talpur said on Wednesday that PCCC in collaboration with different provincial research departments, was working on long term policy to ensure the availability of quality and healthy cotton seeds in the country. In a press release, he said that cotton crop was faced different challenges regarding seeds and PCCC would resolve all challenges and ensure availability of top quality seeds. Dr Talpur informed that Pakistan Cotton Committee was taking different measures to promote cotton, its products, manufacturing and marketing. Similarly, cotton scientists are also being imparted training at international level to improve research techniques. He added the PCCC had contributed more than 50 new varieties of cotton seeds and also got these varieties approved. He termed it a big success of the PCCC. The secretary observed that PCCC was achieving its targets, given by cotton commissioner Dr Khalid Abdullah.

About re-structuring of PCCC, Dr Talpur said the ministry of commerce and textile had constituted a special committee. MNAs, federal secretary textile industry, vice presidents of PCCC were members of the committee.

The committee had completed enough work in this regard, he added.

 PARC approves 28 technical projects

 ISLAMABAD (APP): Technical Advisory Committee of the Board of Directors of Agricultural Linkages Programme (ALP) of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Wednesday approved 28 projects of different technical divisions. Chairman of PARC presided over the 40th meeting of the board of ALP to evaluate project proposal for funding, a press release said. The meeting accorded the approval of these projects aiming at to promote and develop the agriculture and livestock sector of the country. The objective of the ALP was to promote and support agricultural research and development activities in accordance with the Pakistan's long term development goals and to promote long term scientific cooperation between Pakistan and the United States in agricultural sector. Speaking on the occasion, PARC Chairman Dr Yusuf Zafar said the ALP was an endowment fund established at the PARC with the support of government of the USA to use for activities, projects in line with the Pakistan's long-term research and development goals for the agriculture sector.

He called upon the members to reduce the processing time and also urged the the TAC members to focus on good quality of research.

He said the PARC running this programme very efficiently since its inception for progress and development of local agriculture sector and prosperity of farmers.

The committee also approved minutes of the last meeting and stressed the need for expediting work and activities in agriculture research and development to maintain food safety and security in the country.

 Australian HC for encouraging women entrepreneurship

RAWALPINDI(APP): The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) Wednesday organized a session titled "Coffee morning" for creating awareness, discussing issues and an interactive question and hour session on women economic empowerment. Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Margaret Adamson,who was the chief guest on the occasion, said the Australian government supported Pakistan's efforts to increase regional trade and investment. She said the Australian government was actively exploring avenues for increased skills development and opportunities for women's entrepreneurship in Pakistan.  "The lives of Pakistani women are changing rapidly. It will be vital for a prosperous Pakistan to facilitate an environment which provides enough economic opportunities to engage women ",she added. She lauded RCCI for establishing Women Business Incubation Center (WBIC) to help women entrepreneurs to establish and run their own businesses.

She assured her full support and cooperation in this regard.

RCCI Chief Zahid Latif Khan in his address said, that RCCI being a pro-active business facilitation entity, believed in identifying such forums for women entrepreneurs to bring into the main stream of the economy.

He thanked the participants of Coffee Morning and said that an active participation of women entrepreneurs was required to make such sessions a successful event.