KARACHI - The Sindh government Thursday allocated Rs 72 billion for provincial local government department in next fiscal year. The government focused on schemes of water supply, sewage effluent disposal and solid waste management services.
Talking about local government budget, the chief minister in his budget speech stated that Sindh is densely populated and most urbanised province of the country having 24 percent of the country’s population. He added that the trend of urbanisation and growing population put consistent pressure on water supply, sewage effluent disposal and solid waste management services.
According to provisional census report of 2017, population of Sindh is 47.886 million. The estimated demand of drinking water is 1538 MGD. The waste water generation is estimated at 1076.6 MGD.
The chief minister said water and sanitation have been and are the priority for the Sindh government particularly because of the arid and hot climate and brackish ground water spread over 83 percent of the total area of Sindh.
The sector gained significant importance during recent years for provision of clean drinking water and safe disposal of sewage in the Province. He said 90 new schemes were included for Rs.29.66 billion in ADP 2017-18. Hence, allocation was increased from Rs.4.173 billion to Rs 6 billion. The allocation for water supply, sanitation and solid waste management schemes was also increased from Rs 7.966 billion to Rs 14.717 billion.
In addition, 26 non-ADP schemes of Rs 4.283 billion relating to water supply and sanitation have also been taken up during 2017-18 to address the issue of water supply and sewerage.
2018-19, we have proposed: Rs.29.022 billion for 262 ongoing schemes of water supply, sanitation and solid waste management in ADP 2018-19. Out of which Rs 9.10 billion are allocated for141 ongoing schemes of PHED for water supply and sewerage system in ADP 2018-19. This includes 15 schemes costing Rs 3621.742 million in phase-I for elimination of sewage discharging in fresh water bodies. Two major schemes for Karachi City (K-IV & S-III) under matching grants with allocation of Rs 7.261 billion. Whereas, new schemes of PHED and LGD will be accommodated under the provision of Rs 50.00 billion earmarked separately as ‘Block Allocation’ for new schemes for all sectors in ADP 2018-19.
KARACHI MEGA PROJECTS
The chief minister said that out of 14 new schemes identified under “Mega Schemes of Karachi”, 11 schemes have been approved and under execution; they are road from Tank Chowrangi to Super highway via Thado Nalla, Reconstruction of Tipu Sultan Road from Shahra-e-Faisal to Karsaz, Construction of Bridge at Tipu Sultan and Khalid Bin Waleed Intersection, Reconstruction of Stadium Road, Remodeling of 12000 Roads (Landhi – Korangi), Improvement of Roads around Cantt Railway Station, Improvement of Road from Fuwara Chowk to Garden via Abdullah Haroon Road and back to Fuwara Chowk via Zaibunissa Road, Bridge over Korangi Nalla, Bridge at Intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Gizri Boulevard, Storm water drain from Hassan Square to Lyari River, 24 dia Meters water supply pipe line from Habib Bank to Pump No. 3 for improvement of water supply in Baldia town Area.
He said that Greater Karachi Sewerage Project (S-III), Greater Karachi Water Supply Project (K-IV) are being co-funded by the provincial and federal government.
OTHER MAJOR SCHEMES
The other major schemes being provided schemes are Laying & Jointing 32” dia rising main including Construction of Pump House with Pumping Machinery for Water supply scheme Hussain Abad Taluka Qasimabad, District Hyderabad. Rehabilitation and Restoration of 110 ft wide, 24 ft black top Mulakatiar road, Hyderabad, improvement / construction of various Asphalt roads, CC roads, drains, in Hyderabad, Improvement / Construction of Tando Ghulam Ali Digri Sugar Mill Road and main Naga Road, Construction of Road from Hirar Chandia road to Karoro mile, Construction of road from Chachro Wicholo Paar road to village Pin Pario, Widening/Reconditioning/Construction of Road from Chanessar Pangrio Mori Road to Connect Nawabshah Qazi Ahmed Road, 24 various Development Schemes of road and electrification, Construction of road from Taj Colony near Railway Track Road to connect Suger Mill road, Construction of Flyover Bridge at Larkana City, Development Schemes of Taluka Ratodero, Construction/Reconditioning of Jacobabad-Thul Road, Construction/Improvement of internal roads of Thul City.
SAAF SUTHRO SINDH PROGRAMME
The chief minister said that Saaf Suthro Sindh Programme is conceived as Nutrition Sensitive Programme to cover the Sanitation component in order to help in reduction of Malnutrition and Stunting rates in the province. The scope of the project is initially to cover 13 districts of Sindh. He added that about 50 percent of rural population in these 13 districts would be covered by taking up 400 villages in each district.
He said that the target is to make 5,200 villages of Sindh as Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages by the end of the programme.