ISLAMABAD   -  Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources on Friday was apprised that PC-1 for installation of telemetry system to ensure smooth water distribution among the provinces has been prepared and after the approval, it would be included in next annual Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). 

The Committee met with Shammim Afridi in the Chair discussed Warsak dam royalty, grievances of affectees of Neelum Jhelum Power Project, importance of telemetry system for distribution of water among the provinces and its reason of non-implementation and water distribution accord among the provinces. The Secretary Water Resources informed the committee, that the PC-1 for telemetry system costing over Rs 2 billion has been sent to Indus River System Authority (IRSA) and consultant would be hired after its approval.

Shammim Afridi directed the secretary to provide advance copy of the PC-1 sent to IRSA to the committee. The committee was further told that the project would take 24 months for completion and it would be fully operationalized in 30 months. Regarding construction of five dams in District Sherani, Qilla Saifullah, it was told that summary has been sent to the Cabinet after preparing PC-1 of the dams. The dams would cost Rs 550 million, it was further told. Usman Khan Kakar said that water was a grieve issue in Balochistan and rain water was being used for irrigation. He said construction of the said dams would help address 90 per cent irrigation issue.

The meeting was attended by Senators Waleed Iqbal, Sana Jamaili, Usman Kakar, Mir Muhammad Yousaf, Secretary Water Resources and other officials of concerned departments.

Senate body approves amendment bill 

The Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change on Friday approved Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi’s “The Islamabad Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Bill, 2020. 

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed chairing the meeting held here at the Ministry of Climate Change said the Committee considers the Bill at its forum despite the opposition of the Ministry and would be tabled at the Upper House of the Parliament for its enactment.

The Ministry presented its raft bill of Islamabad Wildlife Management Amendment Bill 2020.  Senator Javed Abbasi had also raised questions on the tenure of Chairman Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) and its members.

He had proposed in his amendment bill that Section 4 of the Bill should be amended to change the word “may” to “shall” as “Federal Government shall constitute a Board of Wildlife Management, consisting of a Chairman and ten members.”  

The chairman and board members should be experts and qualified in climate change, wildlife and forestry, he added. “The Board members should have representation of the House of the Parliament.”

The Ministry had opposed Senator Javed Abbasi’s recommendations and claimed that it had a comprehensive draft in this regar.