Islamabad, 16 February, 2023: The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources in its meeting held on Thursday at the Ministry of Water Resources, after detailed deliberations passed the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (Amendment) Bill, 2022. The members while reviewing the work of the Organization lauded its endeavours and recommended that its work on water conservation should be made part of building plan for sustainable development.
Chaired by Senator Syed Muhammad Sabir Shah, the meeting was attended by Senator Taj Haider, Senator Gurdeep Singh, Senator Dr. Muhammad HumayunMohmand, Senator Sardar Muhammad ShafiqTareen and senior officers from the Ministry of Water Resources along with all concerned.
While being briefed on the Nai Gaj Dam in Sindh Province, members recommended that a holistic approach should be adopted to ensure that maximum benefits are gained by the people of Balochistan and Sindh. Speaking of infrastructural changes, members recommended that the storage capacity of the Nai Gaj Dam should be enhanced in order to prevent flooding of surrounding areas. Discussing delays in completion of the project, the Committee was informed that timely releases of funding was the main cause.
The Committee recommended that a detailed report shoud be submitted highlighting irregularities that led to delays at PC-I and PC-II stages.
The Committee disposed of the matter and recommended that a question may be put to the House to take this matter further in due time
Regarding Crushing Plants near Khanpur area the Committee recommended that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Mines Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collaborate and prohibit stone crushers from using areas adjacent to the Dam as dumping site. Members also recommended that the debris that can be recycled should be carried out to convert a liability into an asset.
Follow the PNI Facebook page for the latest news and updates.
