950809

Benazir opens LBOD Stage I

Govt striking balance

between industrial,

agri development

NAWABSHAH: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto inaugurated the Nawabshah component of the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD) stage one project near Nawabshah on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion she said that the Nawabshah component of the project would save five lakh acres of land from water-logging and salinity.

The Premier said that the farmers would cultivate on this land which will enhance agricultural production and this would result in prosperity on the one hand and generate jobs on the other.

Benazir said that the PPP in its manifesto had promised that for controlling water-logging and salinity the LBOD, RBOD and other projects would be completed on time.

She said that by the grace of Allah we have been able to fulfil our promise and the first phase of LBOD- the Nawabshah project is being inaugurated today.

The Premier said that reclamation of over five lakh acres of agricultural land would not only be beneficial for people of Nawabshah but would also benefit the people of Pakistan on the whole.

She said that with the completion of the other two components of LBOD, over seven lakh acres of land of Mirpurkhas and Sanghar would be saved from water-logging and salinity.

Benazir said that her government was paying special attention to agriculture. With the enhancement in agricultural produce, the growth in the country is also increased which in turn will enhance economic growth rate.

She said that there has been an increase in economic growth rate from two percent to four percent.

The Premier said that previously there had been some difficulty in procurement of fertilizers but now it is available everywhere.

She said that last year damage was caused to the crops due to rains and the government had remitted loans in the calamity-afffected areas and the farmers were given assistance.

She said previously the farmers were not getting correct price but now they are getting price on cotton which is in vogue at international level.

She said that the country where farmers work hard, progresses in a better way with more production, enhancement in export income and creation of jobs.

The PM said that in the past attention was paid on industry but the present government is maintaining a balance and paying attention on industrial development as well as increase in agricultural produce.

She said that she has been travelling abroad to secure foreign investment in the country which has led to the signing of a number of MoUs.

The Premier said that on one hand we are giving importance to industrial development and on the other to enhancement in agricultural produce.

"We understand that if the work we are undertaking in these two fields is carried forward in the next five to six years then this will change the destiny of the country and the problem of poverty will be left far behind," she added.

The Premier told the audience that at the moment there was shortage of ghee in the country. "We do not produce edible oil in the country and depend on its import", she explained.

She said that two years ago the price of edible oil was $340 a ton but now it has risen to $640 dollars in the international market.

She appealed to farmers of the country to think of producing edible oil. This will not only benefit them and the country but also the common man as it would decrease imports and bring down prices.

The Premier also asked the Sindh Chief Minister to pay attention towards producing edible oil. She directed provision of necessary information to the farmers on the subject.

She said that edible oil can also be produced in the Kohistan area.

She said that the LBOD was basically an environment control project which is aimed at saving the environment from the negative effects of water logging and salinity.

Prime Minister said that in the project care has been taken that the saline water drained from the area does not affect the agricultural land of the adjoining areas as well as the marine life.

She said that in the Nawabshah component command area there are numerous ponds and lakes in which there is a lot of marine life. It is our duty to protect this marine life.

She noted that watch is also being kept on the sugar mills waste in the area to prevent environmental pollution.

Referring to tidal link project, Benazir hoped that it would also be beneficial for the area.

She observed that the completion of the tidal link drain was a big achievement of the peoples government and hoped that remaining projects would also be completed promptly.

She appreciated that the Chinese firm - China Harbour Engineering Company - completed the project on time in spite of difficulties. She also thanked the advisers NESPAK, McDonald and ACE limited for their cooperation.

She also thanked Saudi Fund for Development and other donor agencies for funding the project.

The Premier said that this is the first project in the world that saline water is drained 200 miles away into the sea. This will make the land greener.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Wapda Chairman Shamsulmulk, said that the completion of the project was possible due to the interest taken by the Prime Minister and her commitment with the water sector.

He said it will save over 12 lakh acres of land from water logging and salinity. The entire LBOD project would be completed by December 1997, he added.

The inaugural ceremony was attended among others by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Abdullah Shah, Defence Minister Aftab Shahban Mirani, Sindh Irrigation Minister Haji Zafar Leghari, provincial ministers and elected representatives.

Speaking at a briefing the Premier directed Chairman Wapda to see that polluted water was not inflitrated in the drains.

She also directed the Chairman to finalize the projects of Leah and Gujranwala canal projects.

Earlier, briefing the Premier the Wapda Chairman Shamsulmulk said that the two barrages have greatly increased the agriculture production but on the other hand underground water table has risen from 14 feet to 5 feet from surface causing salinity and water-logging problems in the province which is rendering vast areas of agriculture lands infertile.

He said that Wapda had launched Left Bank Outfall Drain project which will provide drainage facility to 1.27 million acres of land falling in the districts of Nawabshah, Sanghar and Mirpurkhas within the command of Sukkur Barrage.

He said that the project envisaged sinking of 1669 tube wells to control water table, installation of 364 scavager tube wells to provided fresh ground water for irrigation purpose, construction of 295 kilometers of subterranean interceptor drains along major canals to recover fresh water being wasted through seepage, a network of surface drains, provision of additional capacity of electric supply at seven existing grid stations, net work of power lines for tubewells, remodelling of Nara and Jarao canal system, construction of Chotiari reservoir and on farm water management to improve water courses.

Member Wapda Water Wing Khadim Mohtadullad said that the most important feature of the project is the ultimate outfall system which is being connected to the sea some 200 mile away from here.

He said that the Nawabshah component of the LBOD project will provide drainage cover to an area of 5,50,000 acres. The whole project would be completed by December 1997 which will comprise 628 kilometers of surface drains.

He said that installation of 1000 kilometers of 11 kv distribution lines is an important feature of the LBOD project.

The Nawabshah component was initiated in 1986 and completed in 1995.-APP