QUETTA - Expressing serious concerns over flood damage, Balochistan lawmakers demanded the government declare Naseerabad Division and Dera Bugti as calamity-hit areas.They also demanded the federal government provide Rs15 billion for flood rehabilitation of people in flood hit areas. The lawmakers made these demands in a joint resolution at Balochistan Assembly the session under Deputy Speaker Syed Matiullah Aghan on Monday.Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mir Abdul Rehman Jamali, Pakistan Muslim League-Q MPA Sheikh Jaffar Mandokhel and MPA Tariq Bugti tabled the resolution.The resolution said that unprecedented flashflood inflicted serious damage on 700,000-acre standing crops in Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Dera Bugti, Jhal Magsi and Musakhel districts. It further said that flashflood had washed away several villages and cattle of local people.Abdul Rehman Jamali thanked Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf for paying visit to flood-hit Balochistan and announcing Rs2.6 billion package for relief and rehabilitation. However, he said that still, thousands of people were trapped in floodwater. “More steps are needed to ensure provision of relief to the victims” he added.Tariq Bugti said that flashfloods had killed a number of people in Dera Bugti districts and destroyed standing crops on thousands of acres of land. “The government should waive agricultural loans of the farmers of the flood-hit areas” he demanded.Information Technology Minister Shama Parveen Magsi said that flood torrents from Khuzdar, Sui, Lehri, Dera Bugti and Marri agency played havoc at a large scale in Jhal Magsi and devastated standing crops.  She demanded maximum funds for rebuilding infrastructure.Maulana Abdul Wasay demanded the government allocate Rs15 billion for complete rehabilitation of flood-stricken people and rebuilding of damaged infrastructure in Balochistan. “The recent floods have wreaked havoc by washing away villages, crops and livestock” they added.Provincial Minister for Minerals Abdul Rehman Mengal said that floods had caused devastation and there were complains of slow pace of relief actives and lack of funds for the purpose.He said the provincial government during last year allocated Rs8.5 billion for Reko Diq Project which faced a halt, thus the funds be spent on flood affectees. “I was member of Board of directors of Reko Diq Project but I tendered my resignation as protest because the project was not being made functional” Mengal added. Senior Provincial Minister Maulana Abdul Wasay supported the point of Abdul Rehman Mengal and saying Reko Diq projected had been given in the hands of Dr. Samar Mubarak Mand but what he could do in it? “Earlier, Thar coal project was given to him but he made less progress anything because electricity is not being produced from the project and money is wasted” he observed.He said that we would run Reko Diq Project ourselves but we did not want that federal government could interfere in it. When the chair put the resolution for the vote the house adopted it unanimously.  The legislators also adopted another resolution demanding government for resolving water crisis in Gwadar.Mir Hamal Kalamati, Mir Zahoor Buledi, Mir Asad Baloch and Mir Asghar Rind tabled the resolution, saying the Akra Dam had dried up as it did not receive rainwater since long and as a result, port town of Gwadar was facing acute water crisis.They said that although the provincial government was providing water to the town through water tankers but was not catering the need of people. They demanded the provincial government approach the federal government asking it to immediately approve the already prepared feasibility report to resolve water crisis of Gwadar.They demanded immediate release of funds for completion of under-construction projects of desalination plant in Gwadar and Shadi Kor Dam besides launching project of Gwadar water pipeline from Mirani Dam. The house passed this resolution unanimously. Later, after completion of other proceedings of the assembly, the house was adjourned until September 27. 

Trending Discussions

Chinese PM arrives in Islamabad amid warm welcome