“Instant restoration of water in Kachhi canal unavoidable”: Federation ought to give positive message by paying special heed towards Balochistan, insists CM

Independent Report

QUETTA: The Chief Minister Balochistan, Mir Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti has categorically stated that immediate restoration of water in Kachhi canal is unavoidable. He pleaded to restore water in Kachhi canal under Proposal II made by WAPDA first and then start work on the long-term project.
He also pleaded to start work on the Phase-II and III of Kachhi canal project without any further delay as one generation has already passed in wait of completion of the Phase-I of Kachhi canal.
And now second and third generation must not be lost while completing the Phase-II and III.
The Chief Minister was speaking at the meeting on the Kachhi canal project chaired by the Federal Minister for Water Resources, Musaddiq Malik in Islamabad, on Wednesday. It may be mentioned here that the Chief Minister, provincial ministers and other concerned high ups participated in the meeting through video link from Quetta.
The Chief Minister told the meeting that the people associated with agriculture are facing hardships due to non-availability of water in Kachhi canal. As he pleaded to rehabilitate the canal before formulation of the strategy to cope with the flood situation in future, the Federal Minister for Water Resources was agreed with his (CM) proposal and directed to the concerned authorities to take speedy measures for restoration of the water in canal’s Phase-I first then work on the project.
He assured that water would be restored in the Kachhi canal immediately before the long-term project of rehabilitation of the canal.
Earlier, the Chief Minister insisted that the water supply should be restored in the Kachhi canal as the planning of prevention of the flood is a long process.
He also recalled that Kachhi canal project which had been launched in 2002 had been delayed for long. However, work was started on the project in 2013. While irrigation of the unpopulated land measuring around one lakh acre was started under Phase-I of the project, the 2022 flood caused damages to the Kachhi canal suspending supply of water, the Chief Minister added.
Now the situation is that the people of area are not having the water for drinking purposes even, the Chief Minister mentioned adding that migration of the dwellers has been started from the area.
Under the situation, he insisted that the water supply should be restored in the Kachhi canal after desalting.