KARACHI, Aug 5: The Sindh government has approved water supply schemes for 10 villages of Thatta and Badin districts under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2003-2004 costing Rs4 million.

In this regard, the director-general of the Coastal Development Authority (CDA), Munawar Opel, held a meeting here on Tuesday.

It was attended by Ashique Hussain Yousafni, the director-general, Public Health Engineering; Riaz Ahmed Junejo, the superintending engineer, and others.

The CDA DG told the meeting that this was a pilot project which would serve as a model. Once the project was implemented successfully, the schemes of such nature would be launched on a mass scale to facilitate the coastal population in remote areas where there was scarcity of fresh water and inhabitants faced water-borne diseases due to intake of unhygienic water.

In reply to a question, the director general, PHE, said that PC-I for 10 villages had been prepared as per the budget provision reflected in PSDP 2003-2004 and these PC-1s would be discussed at a DDWP meeting next week for approval and early commencement of the schemes.

Five of the 10 schemes would be implemented in five villages of Thatta district — Mohammad Shah Burrih, Ismail Aplano, G. Hussain Kaleri, Jiand Zangijo of Shah Bandar Taluka and Ismail Katiar of Kharo Chan Taluka.

Five villages of Badin district to have these schemes are: Mohammad Haroon, Yamin Jat, Mohammad Bux Khaskheli, Jumo Razo villages of Shaheed Fazil Rahu Taluka and Gulo Mandhro village of Badin Taluka.

The Sindh Coastal Development Authority has identified these schemes for implementation in coastal zones of Sindh.—APP