Worthy Secretary Irrigation Mr. Abdul Fattah Bhangar chaired the weekly progress review meeting of the BIWRMDP, the meeting was virtually attended by the World Bank team . In the meeting the sole agenda was about the Master plan for Quetta city water supply and sanitation system, along with projected communes and water demand in 2037.
Weekly progress review meeting was held with the Techno Consult International pvt.ltd. In the meeting detailed and comprehensive deliberations related to the progress review and the feasibility report of improvement of Quetta Water Supply System for preparation of Balochistan water Security and productivity improvement project has been discussed . The concerned firm The Techno International team has briefed about the details and said that this project have the scope to develop a detailed Master Plan for Quetta city water supply and sanitation system, along with projected communes and water demand in 2037. In addition, to conduct a study in various zones of Quetta, hydro geological, environmental, social aspects with exceptional categorization each water supply am sanitation. Alongside, To carry out an investigation detailing the best climate adoptive techniques of water use and its effective operation with applicable refuse water recycling methodologies. The chair of the Meeting urged the firm to make the feasibility in linking all the relevant set targets. The meeting attended by PD BIWRMDP Eng. Barkat Ullah Kakar, CEO Q-WASA Hamid Latif Rana and other concerned officials along with the head of Techno Dr. Lakani attended the meeting.
Secretary PHE Mr. Saleh Mohammad Baloch attended the closing ceremony of one week gap identification of B-WASA under Utility of Future Ignition Week 100 day action plan conducted under the supervision of World Bank through BIWRDMP. Senior Water Specialist and Team lead BIWRDMP Mr. Yoro Sidibi and Project Director BIWRMDP Engineer Barkat Ullah Kakar attended the event.
A meeting was called upon by Additional Chief Secretary (Planning & Development) Hafiz Abdul Basit of BIRMDP. World Bank Senior Water Specialist and Team task leader of BIWRDMP Mr. Yoro Sidibi along with the Project Director Engineer. Barkat Ullah Kakar and other. In the meeting details and progress of the project were shared in a presentation. The Additional Chief Secretary (P&D) expressed his satisfaction to the overall project activities and intended his full support to the project endeavors along with show his gratitude to the World Bank on behalf of Government of Balochistan in rendering excellent services and support in bring ease to the lives of common men in all development related activities. While speaking with the ACS the World Bank Senior Water Specialist and Team task leader of BIWRDMP Mr. Yoro Sidibi thank ACS ( P&D) and Government of Balochistan in patronizing the World Bank efforts , and urged that the support of uplifting of the marginalized communities shall continue. Moreover, Mr. Yoro Sidibi disclosed that the World Bank will soon be starting another project in financing to improve livelihoods and essential services and enhance risk protection in communities affected by the 2022 floods with the support of Government of Balochistan to patronage the affected communities by providing livelihood assistance and rehabilitating irrigation and flood protection infrastructures. He said that this project The Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Project (IFRAP) will provide housing reconstruction grants to homeowners to rebuild their homes following resilience standards and livelihood grants to smallholder farmers to support livestock, promote climate-smart agriculture and other productive activities. It will also help restore essential services by rehabilitating damaged community infrastructure and facilities such as water supply, irrigation, roads, and community facilities.
Provincial Secretary to the Public Health Engineering Department Mr. Saleh Mohammad Baloch met with the World Bank Team headed by Senior Water Specialist and Team lead BIWRDMP Mr. Yoro Sidibi. In the meeting Project Director BIWRDMP Engineer Barkat Ullah Kakar briefed about the project ongoing activities and said that a thorough and comprehensive study is underway for a project to address the potable and daily usage water for the inhabitants of the Quetta City and the adjacent vicinity areas. Moreover in the existing BIWRDMP project many projects of clean drinking water are completed in the two of 18 water basins of Balochistan.
The meeting was informed that demand of safe drinking water at Quetta is sprouting with every day lapse the current demand of water is 61 million gallons per day, but WASA is only supplying 3408 million gallons. Water scarcity in Balochistan in general, and particularly in Quetta, is arguably the most serious environmental disaster. The meeting was informed that the only dependable source of water for the inhabitants of Quetta is the ground water and continuous pumping have exhausted the natural phenomenon along with extreme weather conditions and climate change made it more serious.
The Secretary showed his gratitude to the World Bank assisted projects. He conveyed that Government of Balochistan is willing to provide maximum support as in reaching out the masses at grass root level and providing assistance to the very serious issue of water scarcity.