QUETTA: In view of water shortage in Balochistan, the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) is making all-out efforts to initiate construction work on the Naulong, Hingol, Badinzai and Sukliji dams in the province, Wapda chairman retired Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain said at a meeting here on Thursday.
At the meeting held to review progress made on various projects, the Wapda chief was informed that the Naulong dam was ready for construction and that funding options for it were being discussed with the Asian Development Bank through the Economic Affairs Division.
On the other hand, the Hingol, Badinzai and Sukliji dams were in the planning stage. The PC-II of these projects had been sent to the Planning Commission, through the ministry concerned, for approval.
The issue of handing over to provincial government of the Mirani dam, which was completed by Wapda about 10 years ago, for operation and maintenance was also discussed at the meeting.
Lt Gen Hussain also visited offices of the Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco).
On the occasion a chief engineer briefed the Wapda chairman about Qesco’s performance and the development schemes which were being implemented with the aim of improving power distribution across the province.
Lt Gen Hussain was informed that since the withdrawal of subsidy on agriculture tubewells late last year, the arrears payable by the consumers had swelled to Rs31 billion, which had badly affected the financial health of the utility.
During his visit to the Wapda Hospital, Lt Gen Hussain said his organisation was committed to providing modern treatment facilities to power sector employees through its own healthcare system.
Although its healthcare system, spread out across the country, was already a good one, Wapda was committed to further improving it, he said.
Wapda was also in the process of establishing a medical college, he added.
