LAHORE - Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has announced to raise funds for the construction of new dams.
PIAF chairman Irfan Iqbal Sheikh said a music concert will be held at National Hockey Stadium on Saturday (today) which would be attended by a large number of business community by purchasing tickets.
He said the earnings of this concert will be fully donated to the construction of the dams. He said that the project will contribute towards alleviation of acute water shortages in the Indus Basin Irrigation System caused by progressive siltation of existing reserves.
Quoting the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), he said that the total collection from within Pakistan was recorded at Rs854.8 million so far for dams' construction. The detail shows that the fund received Rs22 million on August 13, Rs87.4 million on August 9, Rs63.4 million on August 8, and Rs44.9 million on August 6. He hailed the decision of the Supreme Court for initiating the move, also asking the government to start work on Kala Bagh Dam without any further delay.
He observed that KBD is the most thoroughly studied project by world's top experts, reviewed by noted international panels of professionals and thoroughly appraised by the World Bank.
The project is located in the middle of load centre, easy to approach and no long distance transmission lines are required for it. It is ready for construction since mid eighties and international financing from World Bank or Asian Bank can still be easily arranged.