KARACHI – Two new projects are likely to be approved for their inclusion inthe China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which will have an enormousimpact on the overall development of the province, Sindh Chief MinisterSyed Murad Ali Shah has revealed.
CM said the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) was the highest forum forthe CPEC and he attended its meeting in China last week. He added that theCPEC authorities had included two more sectors, agriculture andsocio-economic development, in its projects’ list.
“I presented two projects in the JCC and most probably they would beapproved by the relevant Joint Working Group in their meeting to be held inMarch,” Shah said.
One of the proposed projects is for the channelisation of 180 kilometres ofthe Indus River from Guddu Barrage to Sukkur Barrage. “It is a mega projectand the provincial government is working to complete its requiredformalities,” the CM said.
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According to Shah, changing the course of the Indus River would beenormously helpful for the development of the agriculture sector. It wouldnot only save water but would also control waterlogging and salinity in thedistricts on both banks of the river, he said, adding that the projectwould also help save the area from floods and develop large agriculturallands in Katcha areas.
Commenting on the second project, the CM said he had informed the Chineseauthorities that the Thar Foundation was working in education, health,socio-forestry and bio-saline agriculture in Thar. “I proposed them[Chinese authorities] to approve the project of Thar Foundation so that itcould be implemented in the Thar area where a coal power plant was beingestablished under CPEC,” he said.
