By Rehan Khan Khushik
Karachi, : The aggregate progress rate of road network being rehabilitated under the Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project is almost seventy five percent which is much ahead of the timeline fixed for their completion. So far 54 roads with a total length of 254 kilometers have been completed while 29 roads with 191 kms will be through by the end of current month and the remaining 60 roads with a total length of 383 kms will be complete by end of November, current year. The total length of roads being rehabilitated under the project is 828 kms, informed the Project Director Mr. Ghulam Asghar Kanasro today to the visiting World Bank vising team which is here in Karachi to review the progress of the ongoing road schemes under the SFERP in nineteen districts of Sindh.
The roads have been designed on resilient standards to sustain climate impacts specially drainage position by taking into consideration two hundred years rain/ flood data, twenty years traffic growth factor, axil load addition and twenty years life of pavement structure and treatable shoulders, the meeting was informed. The team while commending the pace of work, observed that with the construction of roads, normal life activities have been restored in the affected areas.
Earlier, the team also reviewed the ongoing 136 public health schemes being rehabilitated under the Project in 5 districts of Sindh and expressed its satisfaction over the progress made so far as 26 water supply and drainage schemes have been completed. Some of these have been handed over to the Public Health Department and rest are in the process of being handed over. Another 60 schemes would be complete by the end of September and the remaining 50 schemes would be completed by end of current year. All these public health schemes are situated in districts of Mirpur Khas, Badin, Shaheed Benazir Abad, Sanghar and Umer Kot. The team was informed that these schemes have been completed ahead of time despite heavy rains which slowed down the pace of work.
During the review meeting, it was informed that the work on remaining 397 schemes in remaining six districts of Naushero Feroze , Khairpur, Jamshoro, Dadu, Qambar Shahdad Kot and Jacobabad have been awarded and the physical work has started in Khairpur and Naushehro Feroze districts . The completion time for all these schemes is August 2025.
The meeting was attended by Ms. Yuko Okara, Mr. Bilal Khalid from the World Bank while Mr. Aslam Leghari and Raja Nadeem Soomro attended the meeting besides other project officials.